New Jersey and New York officials have slashed train and bus fares for fans traveling to the joint World Cup venue across both states for the duration of the tournament.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced Wednesday that round-trip NJ Transit train tickets to MetLife Stadium — renamed New Jersey New York Stadium for the FIFA World Cup — would drop to $98, down from the previously announced $150. “Before NJ Transit World Cup tickets go on sale tonight, @NJTRANSIT is lowering the fare to $98 without using New Jersey state budget funds,” Sherrill wrote on social media.
The move comes after fierce backlash from domestic and international soccer fans planning to attend World Cup matches at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will host the final on July 19. The $98 fare, applicable to World Cup matches in New Jersey, remains significantly higher than the regular $13 round-trip ticket for the 18-mile (29 km) journey from Penn Station in New York City.
When the $150 fare was announced, Sherrill had defended it, arguing the surcharge was necessary to ensure commuters in the state did not bear the “bill for years to come” for hosting the World Cup, the first time the U.S. has hosted the tournament since 1994. NJ Transit officials said it would cost $62 million to shuttle fans to and from the stadium throughout the tournament, and external sponsorships would cover only $14 million of that projected cost. NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri had said: “This is not price-gouging. We are genuinely trying to recover costs.”
Meanwhile, shuttle bus fares from New York City to the World Cup venue have also been reduced. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also announced Wednesday: “Round-trip shuttle bus fares to and from matches will be reduced from the original $80 down to $20.”
The move from the NYNJ Host Committee brings some relief to fans, who have already been spending thousands of dollars to attend a World Cup match, largely due to steep match tickets, international and domestic airfares, and visa costs. Host city officials said 20% of bus tickets for each match would be reserved for New York state residents, with the remainder available to all fans attending matches.
The U.S. is co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada. The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11.
