World Cup 2026 Transit Prices Under Fire: $150 Train Tickets to MetLife Stadium

Football fans planning to attend World Cup 2026 matches at MetLife Stadium are facing sticker shock: a round-trip train ticket from Penn Station will cost $150. That's the same route where NJ Transit charges just $12.90 on regular NFL game days—an eleven-fold increase for the exact same journey on the same tracks.

With just two months remaining before the tournament begins, the pricing controversy has ignited a heated political battle between New Jersey officials and FIFA, world football's governing body.

$48 Million Transit Tab, Zero FIFA Funding

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill didn't hold back this week when confronting FIFA about the transportation costs. In a social media video, she stated bluntly: "We inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup. And while NJ TRANSIT is stuck with a $48 million bill to safely get fans to and from games, FIFA is making $11 billion."

The Governor is demanding that FIFA cover transportation expenses for all eight matches scheduled at MetLife Stadium, including the tournament final on July 19.

FIFA has defended its position by noting that while the original 2018 host-city agreements mandated free fan transportation, those terms were quietly revised in 2023 to only require that transport be made available "at cost." The organization also points out it hasn't funded fan transportation at other major stadium events. While technically within their contractual rights, the move has been widely criticized as tone-deaf.

Governor Sherrill added another bombshell on Friday: FIFA has completely eliminated parking at MetLife Stadium for World Cup matches, forcing four times the typical game-day ridership onto NJ Transit—without providing any financial support to manage the increased capacity.

A Continent-Wide Problem

New Jersey isn't the only host city grappling with inflated transit costs. Boston's organizing committee recently announced $95 bus fares from downtown to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough—quadruple the standard rate. The trend is clear: host cities are shouldering the logistical burden of FIFA's event while fans pay the premium.

Thomas Concannon from the UK-based Football Supporters' Association didn't mince words: "I think at this stage, fans couldn't feel less welcome. We weren't expecting transport to be free. But we weren't expecting to be gouged, either."

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly promoted this World Cup as "104 Super Bowls." That comparison is resonating with fans—just not in the way he likely intended. The Super Bowl has become synonymous with pricing out average supporters entirely.

Dynamic pricing has already sent ticket costs through the roof. On Friday, a resale ticket for the MetLife final was listed at over $9,000. Factor in the $150 train fare, and attendees are looking at a minimum of $9,150 per person just to enter the stadium—before purchasing food, drinks, or merchandise.