Mondial-2026 : supporters au MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
Rumors have been confirmed: spectators attending matches at MetLife Stadium, which will host 8 World Cup 2026 games in New Jersey near New York, will pay $150 (€127) for round-trip train travel—a steep increase from the normal fare of about $12.90 (€11)—leaving supporters shocked.
During a press conference on Friday, local transit authority head Kris Kolluri insisted the agency is not seeking to turn a "profit."
According to the New Jersey Transit chief, this fare is necessary to offset the $48 million (€40 million) cost of operating dedicated trains to the venue, which will host the final on July 19.
"This is completely out of step with previous tournaments," lamented Thomas Concannon, an official with the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) of England and Wales, in comments to the BBC.
During the previous FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, supporters could use the metro for free on match days.
"So far, everything coming out of this tournament suggests fans are being fleeced," added Concannon, as FIFA faces criticism over ticket prices, which have reached several thousand dollars on the official resale platform.
"We are a long way from the promises made during the bid, which spoke of an accessible World Cup with simple, affordable transport for supporters," also regretted Guillaume Auprêtre, spokesperson for the French supporters' group Les Irrésistibles.
In total, 40,000 round-trip train tickets will be sold for each match at MetLife Stadium, starting May 13. The journey, covering about 30 kilometers, takes roughly half an hour.
Without the special pricing, daily users of the New Jersey rail network would "subsidize supporter travel by up to 92%," Kolluri justified.
Additionally, 10,000 people will be able to reach each match via shuttles chartered by the local organizing committee. Tickets for these, costing $80 (€68) round-trip, go on sale this Friday.
FIFA clarified that the initial agreements for the 2026 World Cup, signed in 2018, included provisions for free transport. These were revised in 2023 to account for the "financial strain this would place on host cities."
New Jersey's new Democratic Governor, Mikie Sherrill, argues that FIFA—which projects $11 billion in revenue—"should cover its supporters' transport costs."
New York and New Jersey expect one million visitors and $3 billion in economic impact. Regular rail commuters will face service disruptions and are being encouraged to work from home. As compensation, they will receive discounts on their tickets.
In Boston, a round-trip between downtown and Foxborough Stadium will cost $80—ten times the normal fare and four times the cost for an NFL game. A round-trip Express bus ticket will cost $95.
AFP
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