Soccer fans attending World Cup matches at certain US venues this spring face exorbitant transportation costs, adding significantly to already sky-high ticket prices.
Those traveling to MetLife Stadium from New York City, for instance, can expect to pay a staggering $150 (£111) for a round-trip train fare for each match, officials confirmed on Friday.
This fare represents a nearly twelve-fold increase on the regular $12.90 (£9.50) charge for the approximately 15-minute, 14-kilometer journey from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
With on-site parking largely unavailable for most attendees, New Jersey authorities anticipate around 40,000 fans will rely on mass transit for each fixture. MetLife Stadium, home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, is scheduled to host eight World Cup matches, including the final on 19 July.
Group stage games featuring soccer powerhouses such as Brazil, France, Germany, and England are set to commence on 13 June.
New Jersey officials have justified the substantial upcharge as necessary to cover the costs associated with hosting the World Cup, which returns to the US for the first time since 1994.
NJ Transit officials stated they plan to spend $62 million (£46.2 million) transporting fans throughout the tournament, with only $14 million (£10.3 million) of these anticipated expenses defrayed by external grants.
A fare increase was deemed essential to cover the remaining balance, according to NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.
“This isn’t price gouging,” he told reporters on Friday. “We’re literally trying to recoup our costs.”
However, Governor Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, has urged Fifa, soccer’s global governing body, to cover these transportation expenses.
“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,” she declared in a statement.
Similarly high transit prices are expected for World Cup matches in Boston’s suburbs. Express buses from various locations to Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, will cost $95 (£70), officials announced this week.
And thousands of fans have already snapped up $80 (£59) round-trip train tickets from Boston to the commuter rail station near the stadium. That’s four times the $20 riders are normally charged for a round-trip ticket during game days and other special events at Gillette, which is located in Foxborough, a town some 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Boston.
Other World Cup host cities have pledged to keep their transit fares unchanged, noting that the US government has provided some $100 million (£73.9 million) in transit grants to host cities to provide enhanced bus and rail service.
In Los Angeles, one-way fares will remain $1.75; in Atlanta, they’re locked at $2.50; in Houston, a single ride will still cost $1.25 and in Philadelphia the base fare for the subway will remain $2.90. Kansas City is running shuttles from locations around the city to Arrowhead Stadium that cost just $15 roundtrip.
Fifa has expressed strong disapproval at the suggestion it should bear the transit costs, pointing out that agreements signed with World Cup host cities in 2018 stipulated free transportation for fans to all matches.
The organization also argued that no other major event held at MetLife has required it to pay for fan transportation.
“We are quite surprised by the NJ Governor’s approach today on fan transportation,” Fifa stated on Thursday, as news of the proposed fare began to circulate.
“Fifa worked for years with host cities on transportation and mobility plans, including advocating for millions of dollars in federal funding to support host cities for transportation.”
The significant fare hike for MetLife also drew criticism from New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
“Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me,” the Democrat posted on X earlier this week. The surge pricing was initially reported by sports outlet The Athletic.
Alternatives to the train for MetLife Stadium are also proving costly.
Shuttle buses with a capacity for about 10,000 riders will set off from the midtown Manhattan bus terminal and other locations for $80 roundtrip.
Some 5,000 parking spots at the nearby American Dream Mall are also being sold in advance, currently priced at $225.
MetLife Stadium has a huge parking lot, but for World Cup matches much of that space is being used for a fan village, shuttle buses, a staging area and Fifa staff, officials said.
When the stadium hosted the NFL’s Super Bowl under similar conditions in 2014, New Jersey Transit struggled to accommodate an estimated 33,000 passengers leaving the game. Platforms at a train transfer station became jammed with passengers unable to get space on trains. Some waited for hours to get on board.
