NJ Transit announces $150 ticket prices for trains to World Cup

Tickets to the World Cup matches were expensive on their own, but soccer fans still have to get to the games. That travel will cost an arm and a leg, too.

New Jersey Transit announced Friday that rail tickets to MetLife Stadium for the World Cup matches this summer will cost $150 each. It’s all part of the agency’s plan to move more than 78,000 spectators each match.

The tickets, which are non-transferrable and non-refundable, will be available starting May 13. Only ticket holders will be able to purchase the roundtrip tickets, which are only being sold on NJ Transit’s mobile app.

There will be 40,000 roundtrip tickets available each match day, and the tickets won’t be available the day of at station ticket offices or vending machines.

NJ Transit said everyone coming from New York City and looking to take the train to the stadium must board at Penn Station.

Fans coming from other areas in New Jersey will be able to buy tickets for “specific time periods” to board trains going to MetLife, and will be directed to Secaucus Junction or Hoboken Terminal. Tickets will be checked before boarding the trains to the stadium, and those transferring at Secaucus Junction will be directed to board connecting service.

In addition to trains, NJ Transit also announced that bus tickets to the stadium will be available for $80. Those tickets, which went on sale Friday, will provide service to and from Port Authority Bus Terminal or the Midtown East Shuttle pick-up (east of Grand Central) in NYC. For those in New Jersey, the bus shuttle service will operate as a park-and-ride from the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

“When we look at how the whole plan came together, it was an effort to make sure what’s going to be the fastest, most efficient way to move spectators to MetLife Stadium,” said Alex Lasry, of the NYNJ host committee.

During a media briefing after the plans were shared, NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri said the process was going to be “very prescriptive, very controlled” — and denied they were taking advantage of customers who have few other alternatives to get to the stadium

“This isn’t price gouging,” he told reporters Friday. “We’re literally trying to recoup our costs.”

The cost of a ticket from New York’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford typically costs just under $13. That means tickets are about 12 times more expensive thanks to the upcharge, and it will cost a family of four $600 dollars just to get back and forth from the stadium to see a match.

For those not looking to take public transit to the matches, there will be limited and supplemental rideshare options on match days. Rideshare service will be managed in order to reduce congestion near MetLife, NJ Transit said, and will operate through a designated drop-off spot at nearby Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment — the sportsbook and horse racing track at the sports complex.

A limited amount of premium parking will also be offered at the American Dream Mall on matchdays, according to NJ Transit. The parking will only be available through advance purchase, and those who plan to use it are advised to arrive early due to expected heavy traffic conditions.

There is no general parking on stadium propery on match days. There will be no options for private bus or charters.

The home stadium for both 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 for soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany and England, along with other nations, begin June 13.

Impacts on NY-Penn Station

Anyone not going to games can still anticipate impacts if they use NJ Transit.

The agency said some trains scheduled around peak arrival and departure windows for matches will be “temporarily diverted or adjusted” in order to support service to and from the stadium.

For those who need to go in or out of Penn Station, expect big changes as well. NJ Transit said there will be no outbound rail service from the Manhattan transit hub for commuters starting four hours prior to kickoff. Trains traveling into Penn Station during this four-hour period will operate normally.

Conversely, the three hours after each match, NJ Transit said rail service to New York-Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line and Raritan Valley Line will end at Newark Penn Station. Those looking to continue onto NYC can transfer to PATH trains. Rail service out of New York-Penn Station will operate normally at that time.

The transit agency said commuters with rail tickets going to and from New York can get transfers to alternatives such as PATH trains at 33rd Street or NJ Transit buses at Port Authority at no additional cost.

Anyone who must travel between June 22-30 will be able to buy discounted tickets, according to NJ Transit. As for anyone else, the advice from the transit agency and local governments is to avoid non-essential travel on match days.

FIFA, NJ governor trade barbs

Rumors had been flying about how NJ Transit plans to foot the extra $48 million bill it says it faces because of the FIFA World Cup. Eight matches, including the final, will be played at MetLife Stadium, with the costs coming in the forms of additional labor, security and even hundreds of new buses.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill says NJ Transit shouldn’t foot the bill at all.

She traded barbs with FIFA on Thursday over World Cup transit costs, hours after she demanded that the soccer organization pay for the added costs. Sherrill, and others, have pointed to FIFA’s expected $11 billion haul from this World Cup, but FIFA hasn’t budged.

“FIFA is charging fans up to $10,000 for a single ticket to the final. They’re charging over $200 for ‘premium’ parking at the American Dream Mall — while eliminating parking at MetLife Stadium,” Sherrill said in a tweet.

The only ways to get to the stadium are by train, stadium shuttle and ride share.

Sherrill accused FIFA of pocketing billions while eliminating parking at MetLife and charging more than $200 for “premium” parking at the American Dream Mall by the stadium. With that parking space is limited, the only other ways to get to the stadium are by train, stadium shuttle or rideshare.

FIFA initially required free transportation to World Cup matches. To lessen the burden on host cities, it adjusted the agreement in 2023 to allow paid transportation, provided there is access to transit, public or otherwise.

Earlier in the week, a spokesperson said FIFA was “quite surprised,” by Sherrill’s approach, given the prior agreement.

“FIFA has worked for years with host cities on their transportation and mobility plans, including advocating for millions of dollars in federal funding to support host cities for transportation,” the statement said. “FIFA is not aware of any other major event previously held at NYNJ Stadium, including other major sports, global concert tours, etc., where organizers were required to pay for fan transportation.”

On Friday, FIFA World Cup 2026 COO Heimo Schirgi said in a new statement that soccer’s governing body had “worked in collaboration” with host committees and their partners to develop mass transit plans, with the goal being to cut down on congestion and “reduce reliance” on private vehicles. But Schirgi also added that NJ Transit’s pricing model “will have a chilling effect” on how people experience the matches.

“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options. This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain,” said Schirgi. “Furthermore, to arbitrarily set elevated prices and demand FIFA absorb these costs is unprecedented.”

Schirgi also said FIFA will “generate approximately $11 billion in revenue, not profit, as the Governor incorrectly claims.” He also cited another host city, where a rail ticket to and from the venue would cost just $2.50 on match day.

Whatever happens, it won’t fall on New Jersey commuters, Sherrill vows. After NJ Transit’s announcement Friday, she said she directed the agency to provide discounts for riders impacted by service changes on June 22 and June 30 — days in which the Penn Station partial shutdown of outbound trains would overlap with peak commuting hours.

“This is about striking the right balance,” Sherrill said. “We are committed to ensuring costs are shared fairly. 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.”

Two New York lawmakers, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul, also called on FIFA step up its efforts to make things more affordable given the costs of the tickets themselves.

“Give me a break. Charging more than eleven times the normal fare for a train ride is a ripoff — plain and simple,” said Sen. Schumer. FIFA is making billions from this World Cup, and fans are being hit with a $150 ticket before they even walk through the gate. FIFA should cover the ride — not stick fans with the bill.”

How other host cities are responding

New York/New Jersey isn’t the only host city where the cost of transit to the games has become an issue.

In Boston, a round-trip ticket for the bus will cost $95, more than the MBTA’s special express train service, which already prompted an outcry, since the $80 fare to get to the stadium in Foxboro and back is several times higher than it typically is.

But in Philadelphia, a spokesperson for SEPTA said there would be no increase in fares to get to the World Cup games there, adding that most, if not all, of the added operating costs would be “covered with a recently awarded federal grant.”

Atlanta and Houston are also offering affordable public transportation to the games played in those cities, saying there will be no increases, according to FIFA. Los Angeles revealed a plan that would cost fans $3.50 round trip.

MetLife Stadium — which is losing its name for the duration of the soccer tournament — will host eight World Cup matches between June 13 and July 19. The last match date is also the FIFA World Cup 26 Final.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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