NJ Transit is charging $150 for a 15-minute train ride to the World Cup, and New Jersey’s governor just told FIFA exactly who she blames for it

Transportation officials confirmed Friday that a round-trip train fare from Manhattan’s Penn Station to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will cost $150 per match during the FIFA World Cup 2026, as first highlighted by WTOP. The regular fare for that roughly 15-minute, 9-mile ride is $12.90, meaning fans will pay nearly 12 times the normal price. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill immediately directed blame at FIFA for the increase.

With on-site parking largely unavailable for most attendees, New Jersey officials anticipate around 40,000 fans will rely on mass transit for each match. MetLife Stadium, home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on July 19. Group stage matches featuring Brazil, France, Germany, and England, among others, are scheduled to begin June 13.

NJ Transit officials say the projected cost to transport fans throughout the tournament is $62 million. Outside grants have offset $14 million of that, leaving a $48 million shortfall. NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri stated Friday that the $150 fare charged to an estimated 40,000 rail riders per match is how New Jersey plans to cover that gap, telling reporters, “This isn’t price gouging. We’re literally trying to recoup our costs.”

New Jersey is stuck with a bill FIFA apparently never agreed to pay

Governor Sherrill, a Democrat who took office in January, said her administration inherited an agreement in which FIFA contributed “$0 for transportation,” leaving NJ Transit with the $48 million bill. She stated Friday, “As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day.”

FIFA pushed back, expressing surprise at Sherrill’s position. The organization noted in a Thursday statement that agreements signed with World Cup host cities in 2018 specifically called for free fan transportation to all matches. FIFA also argued that no other major event at MetLife had ever required them to pay for fan transportation, and that they had worked for years with host cities on mobility plans, including advocating for millions in federal funding.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in, posting on X earlier this week that “Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me.” Amid broader debates over the cost of living facing New Yorkers, including pushback on a city-run grocery proposal, the train fare dispute has added to concerns about who bears the financial burden of major public events. The story initially gained traction when reported by sports outlet The Athletic.

Alternatives to the train are similarly expensive. A shuttle bus fleet departing from the midtown Manhattan bus terminal and other locations will cost fans $80 round-trip. Some 5,000 parking spots at the nearby American Dream Mall are being sold in advance at $225.

New Jersey is not alone in imposing elevated transit costs. Officials in Boston announced that express buses from various locations to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, about 30 miles south of Boston, will cost fans $95. Round-trip commuter rail tickets from Boston to the station near the stadium are going for $80, four times the standard $20 game-day rate. Gillette Stadium hosts New England Patriots games and is a longer haul from the city than MetLife.

Many other World Cup host cities have taken a different approach, keeping fares unchanged and pointing to roughly $100 million in federal transit grants provided to host cities. In Los Angeles, one-way fares remain at $1.75. Atlanta is holding at $2.50, Houston at $1.25, and Philadelphia’s subway base fare stays at $2.90. Kansas City is running shuttles to Arrowhead Stadium for $15 round-trip and offering free bus service from the airport to downtown.

Kolluri noted that MetLife’s suburban surroundings leave fewer transit options compared to stadiums within city limits, which he said accounts for the pricing gap between New Jersey and other host cities. Amid separate financial pressures facing Americans, including millions exploring Canadian citizenship options, the World Cup transit costs have drawn a broader audience to the debate over who should fund major international sporting events. NJ Transit rail tickets, limited to 40,000 per matchday, go on sale May 13 exclusively through the NJ Transit Mobile App and will not be available at station ticket offices or vending machines on match days.