Fans traveling from New York City to MetLife Stadium for World Cup matches this summer will be charged a $150 round-trip train fare, NJ Transit officials said. That is nearly 12 times the usual $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute trip from Penn Station to East Rutherford.
“We are going to charge $150 for our roundtrip ticket on our system. So from New York to MetLife, MetLife back to New York,” said Kris Kolluri, president and CEO of NJ Transit. NJ Transit plans to spend $62 million on transportation for fans during the tournament, but officials say only $14 million of that has been covered by external grants. Kolluri defended the higher fare as necessary to cover remaining costs: “This isn’t price gouging. We’re literally trying to recoup our costs.”
Driving will also be costly. Limited parking at the stadium will be reserved for fans with disabilities, while other spaces will be offered at a nearby mall, with prices starting around $225 per space, according to parking service Just Park.
The decision has drawn political attention. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill defended NJ Transit on X, saying “FIFA put zero dollars towards transporting World Cup fans” and urged the governing body to help cover costs. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also said FIFA should pay for transport to World Cup venues.
FIFA’s chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi criticized New Jersey’s move as “arbitrarily set elevated prices” and called demands that FIFA absorb those costs unprecedented. FIFA noted several other U.S. host cities — including Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston — will keep standard transit rates. Boston is a notable exception: officials there announced express buses to Gillette Stadium would cost $95.
MetLife Stadium will host eight World Cup matches, including the final on July 19, with group-stage games featuring teams such as Brazil, France, Germany, and England.
Supporter groups voiced strong opposition. French fan group Irresistibles Francais called the train price “completely insane,” and Guillaume Aupretre warned of ongoing transport problems. Thomas Concannon, chief of England’s Football Supporters’ Association, told the BBC, “Every single thing coming out of this tournament so far is just fans getting fleeced,” calling the fare “astronomical.”
Earlier reporting has also highlighted outrage over high World Cup ticket prices and raised concerns about accessibility for fans with disabilities.