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Fans may have to pay $150 to travel to World Cup games at MetLife Stadium this summer, but FIFA believes NJ Transit’s Regional Stadium Mobility Plan will be a success.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 New York New Jersey Host Committee and NJ Transit announced the plan Friday with the price of getting to MetLife Stadium the hottest topic along with bans on parking at the stadium.
But Alex Lasry, the CEO of the Host Committee, said the plan is “built with safety and responsibility at its core.”
“(We are) ensuring that every fan, worker and resident can move throughout the region securely during the tournament,” Lasry said in a release.
“It reflects years of planning and coordination across our transportation partners, and we’re incredibly grateful for their collaboration.
“Our focus is on delivering a clear, reliable experience for matchgoers while minimizing disruption and helping residents navigate the increased demand the tournament will bring. We want to ensure the World Cup is an enjoyable experience across our entire region, while showing the world everything New York New Jersey has to offer.”
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and FIFA exchanged blows about the ticket prices, with Sherrill imploring FIFA to pay for fans to attend the games.
“Our administration inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $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 every game,” Sherrill said in a video.
“At the same time, FIFA is making $11 billion off of this World Cup and charging fans up to $10,000 for a single ticket for the final.
FIFA FIRES BACK AT NEW JERSEY GOV MIKIE SHERRILL OVER DEMAND TO PAY FOR WORLD CUP TRANSIT TICKETS
“I won’t stick New Jersey’s commuters with that tab for years to come — that’s not fair. So here’s the bottom line: FIFA should pay for the rides, but if they don’t, I’m not going to let New Jersey commuters get taken for one.”
FIFA said it was “quite surprised” at Sherrill’s unprecedented “approach.”
“FIFA World Cup will bring millions of fans to North America along with related economic impact,” FIFA said. “Many fans will travel to NYNJ to enjoy the eight matches scheduled. 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.”
The first game played at MetLife Stadium will be June 13, and it will host eight matches, including the July 19 final.
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Under the section “What Fans Should Expect” in its release, NJ Transit and the Host Committee said “travel will look different from a typical day,” and those not attending games should avoid nonessential travel on match days.
Some won’t have a choice because service out of New York Penn Station to New Jersey will be halted on match days beginning four hours before game time.
The World Cup begins June 12 in Los Angeles on FOX.
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