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FIFA doesn’t like the NJ Transit plan for the World Cup.
The public transportation system, along with the FIFA New York and New Jersey Host Committee, released its “Regional Stadium Mobility Plan” on Friday, which includes $150 train tickets and an $80 shuttle bus from New York to MetLife Stadium, limited ride-sharing opportunities and closures of Penn Station for non-game day commuters.
With the plan now officially in place, FIFA World Cup COO Heimo Schirgi issued the following statement to Pak Gazette Digital:
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Commuters move through the NJ Transit section of Penn Station in New York City on May 20, 2025, after NJ Transit resumed operations following a tentative agreement to end a three-day strike by train engineers. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“Since the host city agreements were signed in 2018, FIFA has worked collaboratively with the host committees and their partners to develop a transportation plan that provides efficient and accessible public transportation options for ticketed fans attending all eight matches at NY NJ Stadium. The goal is to minimize congestion, reduce reliance on private vehicles and ensure that the fan experience is a positive and memorable one, defined by the action on the field, not delays on the roads.
“NJ Transit’s current pricing model will have a chilling effect. High fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options. This increases concerns about congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain by hosting the World Cup.”
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has implored FIFA to foot the bill for those attending matches, a request Schirgi criticized.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey, during an election night event in East Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S., Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
FIFA RESPONDS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF NEW JERSEY, MIKIE SHERRILL, FOR THE DEMAND TO PAY TRANSIT TICKETS FOR THE WORLD CUP
“Furthermore, arbitrarily setting high prices and requiring FIFA to absorb these costs is unprecedented. No other global event, concert or major sports promoter has faced such a demand. While FIFA is projected to generate approximately $11 billion in revenue, not profit, as the Governor incorrectly claims, FIFA has always been a non-profit organization under our statutes. Revenue from the FIFA World Cup is reinvested in the development of football, particularly for youth and women, around the world.
“Finally, we applaud our partner host cities across the country who have taken this opportunity to showcase their region to visitors by offering low and often unchanged fares for public transportation to and from match venues, FIFA Fan Festival locations, airports and other areas critical to a positive fan experience. One host city offers a massive train ticket for $1.25, ultimately costing ticketed fans $2.50 for round-trip transportation to a 2026 FIFA World Cup match.”
A regular train ticket from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium costs $12.90, making this increase about a dozen times what it normally is.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said the prices needed to be raised, given the $48 million cost to NJ Transit and to prevent regular commuters from subsidizing the cost in the future.
Kris Kolluri, CEO of NJ Transit, and Alex Lasry, CEO of the 2026 FIFA World Cup New York and New Jersey Host Committee, speak during a news conference on the regional mobility plan for the World Cup in Newark, New Jersey, on April 17, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
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MetLife Stadium will host eight matches, beginning on June 13 and ending with the final on July 19.
