New Jersey and New York state officials announced substantial reductions to transit fares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey following strong public criticism. Initially, round-trip train tickets from New York Penn Station to MetLife Stadium were priced at $150, far above the regular fare of $12.90. After an initial cut to $105 on May 7, the fare was further reduced to $98 starting May 12, subsidized by local corporate sponsors so no New Jersey taxpayer money was used. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said, "Good news: Ahead of NJ TRANSIT World Cup train tickets going on sale tonight, NJ Transit is lowering ticket prices to $98 without New Jersey taxpayer money. Thank you to our partners for helping make this possible" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
On the same day, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that round-trip shuttle bus fares to MetLife Stadium would be slashed by 75%, from $80 to $20, with 20% of tickets reserved for New York state residents. Hochul said, "Getting to the World Cup should be as accessible as possible. Hosting the World Cup is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for New Yorkers, and we are making this world class event as affordable and accessible as possible" [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8].
The transit fare reductions came after widespread criticism that the original $150 train fare was excessive and unfair to fans and taxpayers, given normal fares are about $12.90 one-way. NJ Transit Chair Priya Jain said the agency aimed to "reduce costs while protecting NJ Transit's daily customers and commuters from bearing the financial burden" [9, 5, 8, 7]. CEO Kris Kolluri added, "This isn’t price gouging. We’re literally trying to recoup our costs. It is an exciting moment for New Jersey to showcase New Jersey's diversity as well as its economic standing in the country and in the world" [8].
FIFA had criticized New Jersey's $150 fare as having a "chilling effect" on fan attendance and refused to subsidize transit costs, leading to a public dispute with Governor Sherrill. A FIFA spokesperson called the fare a hindrance to fans even as officials argued the costs were necessary to cover the $48 million NJ Transit security and operational expenses for the World Cup transportation [1, 5, 7].
MetLife Stadium, which will host eight matches including the final on July 19, will be renamed New York/New Jersey Stadium for the tournament due to FIFA corporate sponsorship rules [1, 10, 8]. Public transit is the primary access to the stadium since most parking has been removed for security and space reasons [1, 2, 3, 4]. Officials plan to use classic yellow school buses to expand capacity from 10,000 to 18,000 seats on five match days including the final [2, 3, 4].
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the MetLife Stadium final set for July 19 [2, 9, 11, 4, 8].
