NJ Transit World Cup fares spark backlash over MetLife Stadium access

A joke about walking to MetLife Stadium quickly turned into a blunt warning about how difficult, and expensive, it will be to reach one of soccer’s biggest stages in the New York-New Jersey region. NJ Transit confirmed a $150 round-trip rail ticket for World Cup match days at the East Rutherford stadium, where eight 2026 FIFA World Cup matches are scheduled, including the final on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

The agency also set bus tickets at $80 and said the special World Cup plan is designed to move about 40,000 fans per match. Tickets will be sold only through the NJ Transit mobile app starting May 13. Officials say the stadium will have no parking on match days, no tailgating, and a diversion plan at Penn Station. Fans arriving from New York City will have to board at Penn Station and transfer through Secaucus Junction or use other designated transit options.

The fare has ignited backlash because it dwarfs the normal event-day cost. The usual round-trip fare between New York Penn Station and MetLife Stadium is $12.90, making the World Cup ticket nearly 12 times higher. NJ Transit has said it faces about $48 million in added costs for the eight matches, and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have both pressed FIFA to help cover that amount. Schumer called the fare proposal a “shakedown.”

The uproar grew as online chatter drifted toward a cheaper option: walking from Manhattan. That idea drew immediate pushback from officials in New York and New Jersey, who warned fans not to attempt it. Pedestrian traffic is prohibited on the roadways surrounding MetLife Stadium, and the Manhattan-to-stadium route discussed online would be roughly 10 miles along Interstate 95, a path that is not built for foot traffic.

The parking picture adds to the strain. General fans will not be allowed to park at MetLife Stadium, and only limited premium parking is expected at American Dream, at more than $200 a spot. The result is an event being sold as a global showcase while leaning heavily on mass transit, shuttles, rail transfers, and park-and-ride options to move spectators in and out.

For a region that markets itself as a world-class transit hub, the World Cup is exposing the gap between the image and the infrastructure. Fans heading to East Rutherford are being told, in effect, that they cannot drive, they cannot park, and they cannot walk.