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MetLife Stadium will host its first World Cup game next Saturday, but it doesn’t look like many fans will be taking public transportation there at the moment.
FIFA World Cup 2026 New York New Jersey Host Committee and NJ Transit originally announced that round-trip train tickets to and from the stadium will cost $150 — a regular ticket from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium is $12.90. However, after additional private funding, tickets have since been lowered to $98.
NJ Transit plans to carry 40,000 people to each of MetLife Stadium’s eight games, but according to The Athletic, as of Monday at 5 p.m. ET only purchased 17,739 tickets in total across the entire eight games.
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Transit officials are preparing for an unprecedented number of riders during World Cup matches this summer. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
That’s less than 6% of the 320,000 tickets available.
From 15 ET Tuesday, train schedules are not yet available, but fans can purchase tickets in select departure time windows ranging from one to five hours before kickoff.
Fans have been urged to buy tickets in advance as they will not be available on the day of the game.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and FIFA traded blows over ticket prices, with Sherrill imploring FIFA to pay for fans to attend the matches.
“Our administration inherited a deal where FIFA provides $0 for transportation to the World Cup — zero. That leaves New Jersey Transit with a $48 million bill to safely get 40,000 fans to and from each game…” Sherrill said in a video.
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)
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“I’m not going to stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years to come — it’s not fair. So here’s the bottom line: FIFA needs to pay for the rides, but if they don’t, I’m not going to let New Jersey commuters get caught.”
FIFA said it was “quite surprised” by Sherrill’s unprecedented “approach”.
“The FIFA World Cup will bring millions of fans to North America, along with related economic impacts,” FIFA said. “Many fans will travel to NYNJ to enjoy the eight scheduled matches. FIFA is not aware of any other major event previously held at NYNJ Stadium, including other major sports, global concert tours, etc., where the organizers had to pay for fan transportation.”
New Jersey Transit branding is displayed in front of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, ahead of the 2026 World Cup on May 1, 2026. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
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Many travel restrictions have also been put in place on game days, including NJ Transit service to and from New York being suspended from four hours before the games start, except for World Cup participants. There will also be no parking at MetLife Stadium, nor will rideshare be available on stadium property. Instead, rideshare users will be dropped off near the racetrack adjacent to the stadium.
The first match features Brazil and Morocco, with MetLife Stadium also hosting the championship on July 19.
