Updated By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1330 EAT on Thursday 14 May 2026

Officials in New Jersey and New York have lowered transportation fares for fans travelling to the states’ shared FIFA World Cup venue during the tournament.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said on Wednesday that round-trip New Jersey Transit train tickets to MetLife Stadium — rebranded as New Jersey New York Stadium for the FIFA World Cup — will cost $98, reduced from the previously proposed $150 fare.

“Ahead of NJ Transit World Cup train tickets going on sale tonight, NJ Transit is reducing ticket prices to $98 without using New Jersey taxpayer funds,” Mikie Sherrill said in a social media post.

The move followed strong backlash from local and international football fans planning to attend World Cup matches at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is set to host the tournament final on July 19.

The revised $98 fare for World Cup match days in New Jersey remains significantly higher than the standard $13 round-trip fare for the 29km (18-mile) journey from New York City’s Penn Station.

When the initial $150 fare was announced, Mikie Sherrill defended the pricing, arguing that the surcharge was necessary to prevent New Jersey residents from footing what she described as a long-term financial burden for hosting the World Cup, which is returning to the United States for the first time since 1994.

NJ Transit officials said transporting fans to and from the stadium throughout the tournament is expected to cost about $62 million, with external grants covering only $14 million of the projected expenses.

“This isn’t price gouging,” Kris Kolluri said last month. “We’re simply trying to recover our costs.”
Meanwhile, the cost of shuttle bus transport from New York City to the World Cup venue has also been significantly reduced.

“The cost of shuttle bus tickets to and from matches will be lowered from the initial $80 round-trip fare to $20,” Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday.

The decision by the NYNJ Host Committee is expected to provide some relief for fans already facing high costs associated with attending World Cup matches, including expensive match tickets, international and domestic travel fares, and visa expenses.

Host city officials said 20 percent of shuttle bus tickets for each match will be reserved for New York state residents, while the remaining tickets will be made available to all supporters attending the games.

The United States is co-hosting the tournament alongside Mexico and Canada. The competition is scheduled to begin on June 11.

-Aljazeera

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