World Cup 2026 Transportation Costs Spark Political Battle as Train Tickets Hit $150

Football fans planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium are facing sticker shock: a round-trip train ticket from Penn Station will cost $150—eleven times the regular $12.90 fare charged on typical NFL game days. Same route, same tracks, drastically different price tag.

The controversial pricing has emerged just two months before the tournament begins, igniting a heated dispute between New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and FIFA over who should foot the transportation bill.

$48 Million Tab, Zero FIFA Contribution

Governor Sherrill didn't hold back in her criticism of FIFA this week. "We inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup," she stated in a social media video. "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 costs for all eight matches scheduled at MetLife Stadium, including the highly anticipated final on July 19.

FIFA has responded by pointing to changes made to hosting agreements. While the original 2018 host-city contracts required free fan transportation, FIFA quietly amended this requirement in 2023 to only mandate transport be available "at cost." The organization also noted it hasn't paid for fan transport at other major stadium events. While technically within the agreement terms, the move has been widely criticized as tone-deaf.

Governor Sherrill revealed another complication on Friday: FIFA has completely eliminated parking at MetLife for World Cup matches, forcing roughly four times the normal matchday ridership onto NJ Transit—without providing any financial assistance to manage the increased capacity.

A Continent-Wide Problem

New Jersey isn't facing this challenge alone. Boston's host committee recently announced $95 bus tickets from downtown to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough—quadruple the standard fare. The pattern is clear across North American host cities: local governments are shouldering the logistical burden of FIFA's tournament while passing costs directly to supporters.

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 described this World Cup as "104 Super Bowls." That comparison is proving more accurate than intended—but not in a positive way. The Super Bowl has become infamous for pricing out average fans entirely.

Dynamic pricing has already sent ticket costs soaring. A resale ticket for the MetLife final was listed above $9,000 CAD on Friday. 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, beverages, or merchandise.