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FIFA doesn’t like NJ Transit’s World Cup plan.
The public transportation system, along with FIFA New York New Jersey host committee, released its “Regional Stadium Mobility Plan” on Friday, which includes $150 train tickets and $80 shuttle from New York to MetLife Stadium, limited carpooling opportunities and closing Penn Station to commuters on non-game days.
With the plan now officially in place, FIFA World Cup Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi released the following statement to PK Press Club Digital:
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Commuters move through the NJ Transit section of Penn Station in New York on May 20, 2025, after NJ Transit resumed operations following a tentative agreement to end a three-day strike by rail engineers. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“Since signing host city agreements in 2018, FIFA has worked collaboratively with the organizing 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 traffic congestion, reduce the reliance on private vehicles and ensure the fan experience is positive and memorable, defined by the action on the field and not delays on the pitch. roads.
“NJ Transit’s current pricing model will have a disincentive 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 benefits and lasting legacy the entire region can derive from hosting the World Cup.”
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill implored FIFA to foot the bill for those attending games, a request Schirgi criticized.
Representative Mikie Sherrill, Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey, at an election night event in East Brunswick, New Jersey, United States, Tuesday, November 4, 2025. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
FIFA hits back at New Jersey Governor MIKIE SHERRILL FOR DEMAND TO PAY FOR WORLD CUP TRANSPORT TICKETS
“Moreover, setting arbitrarily high prices and requiring FIFA to absorb these costs is unprecedented. No other major global event, concert or sports promoter has faced such demand. While FIFA is expected to generate approximately $11 billion in revenue, not profits as the Governor falsely 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, all over the world.
“Finally, we commend our host city partners across the country who have taken this opportunity to showcase their region to visitors by offering low-cost and often unchanged mass transit fares to and from match venues, FIFA Fan Festival venues, airports and other areas critical to a positive fan experience. One host city is offering a mass rail ticket at $1.25, ultimately costing fans $2.50 for round-trip transportation towards a match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
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 prices need 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 Host Committee in New York, New Jersey, speak during a press briefing on the regional mobility plan for the World Cup in Newark, New Jersey, April 17, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
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MetLife Stadium will host eight matches, from June 13 through the final on July 19.
