New Jersey Transit has announced a $150 fare for the roughly 15-minute, 9-mile ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare.
The stadium is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on July 19, with group stage games featuring soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany, and England kicking off from June 13. The steep surcharge stems from a bitter financial standoff between New Jersey and FIFA.
NJ Transit officials said it would cost $62 million to transport fans to and from the stadium over the duration of the tournament, and that outside grants had defrayed only $14 million of those anticipated expenses.
Governor Mikie Sherrill said her administration inherited an agreement where FIFA contributed “$0 for transportation,” leaving the state’s already cash-strapped transit agency stuck with a $48 million bill.
The governor made her position clear, stating that New Jersey would not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders at the expense of everyday commuters who depend on NJ Transit.
FIFA, however, has pushed back sharply against the move. The governing body noted that agreements signed with World Cup host cities back in 2018 called for free transportation for fans to all matches, and argued that no other major event held at MetLife Stadium had ever been required to pay for fan transportation.
With on-site parking unavailable for most fans, New Jersey officials anticipate that around 40,000 supporters will rely on mass transit for each match making the resolution of this dispute an urgent matter for hundreds of thousands of fans expected to attend the games.
