Fans were already angry over World Cup 2026 ticket costs, but FIFA added another 775 percent price hike to just to get there

It’s a norm for the FIFA World Cup to generate significant hype worldwide. However, the 2026 World Cup is seemingly receiving more attention than usual, especially amid ongoing tensions with Iran. As the World Cup will be hosted in America, Iran’s absence has become the most talked-about topic in the soccer community.

With Gianni Infantino confirming the country’s participation later, the spotlight then shifted to skyrocketing World Cup ticket prices. Well, if that wasn’t enough already, another price hike is here to destroy the fans’ World Cup plans. As reported by the Daily Mail, the train tickets from New York to MetLife Stadium for this summer’s World Cup are expected to rise from $12.90 to a whopping $100.

Yes, you read that right. According to The Athletic, New Jersey Transit has planned that the return ticket to New York from the stadium may now cost fans around $100 for World Cup games. After doing the maths, this overnight increase is 775 percent, which may not seem negligible even to passionate soccer fans.

FIFA is expected to make around $11 billion from the World Cup. Will we, the common people, be funding it?

According to The Athletic, FIFA will make a ton of money from these events, drawing from official parking, media broadcasts, concession sponsors, and, of course, tickets. Speaking of tickets, they were already in the midst of a controversy over high costs and fans not getting their intended seats due to misleading seat maps. Now, this new obstacle could force some to cancel their plans of attending soccer matches.

Apart from this concerning news, there are some positive aspects. First of all, the decision isn’t finalized yet, which means public scrutiny could potentially reverse it. Even if it really happened, the governor, Mikie Sherrill, has offered reassurance to taxpayers. She said, “One of the key things I wanted to make sure is that we are not going to be paying for moving the people who are viewing the World Cup on the back of New Jersey taxpayers and New Jersey commuters.”

Following this reassurance to fans, the decision has also sparked further powerful voices from New York. Governor Kathy Hochul has weighed in on the situation, saying, “Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me.” Similarly, Democratic senator Chuck Schumer has urged FIFA to cover the transport costs, as the tickets are already “costing a fortune” to fans.

The decision to make a 775 percent increase has not been finalized, but it still sounds alarming. The tension between Iran and the USA didn’t just impact the Iranian team’s World Cup hopes; travel problems were already making it challenging for those in the UAE. Now that it’s finally happening, it looks like these pricing issues are becoming another hurdle for those planning to attend.