World Cup Fans Could Pay Up to $100 to Reach Stadiums as Cities Defy FIFA Deal

The first FIFA men's World Cup in history to feature 48 teams is set to arrive in North America in less than two months. But despite record revenue projected for the tournament, local governments in the United States are asking FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, to contribute to transportation costs in some host cities, particularly for public transit.

In a video posted on her X account, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said FIFA has not provided any funding for transportation, arguing that asking commuters to pay more would be unfair given FIFA's projected $11 billion in revenue during the 2026 World Cup cycle.

"We inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup," Sherrill said on X. "And while NJ TRANSIT is stuck with a $48 million bill to safely get fans to and from games, FIFA is making $11 billion. I'm not going to stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years to come. FIFA should pay for the rides. But if they don't, I'm not going to let New Jersey get taken for one," Sherrill said.

With no funding for transportation coming from FIFA, The Athletic reported earlier this week that NJ Transit was considering charging fans $100 for train tickets between New York Penn Station and MetLife Stadium, which will host eight World Cup matches, including the final. The standard fare is typically $12.90, but Sherrill said she would approve the increase if FIFA does not change its position.

On April 15, NJ Transit's board of directors unanimously approved a resolution allowing it to set fares to "cover any and all costs" for transporting fans and to comply with Sherrill's directive.

NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri told NJ.com he supported Sherrill's push for FIFA and confirmed that regular commuters would not bear the additional costs.

"The governor said whatever the fare will be, it will not be cross-subsidized by our regular commuters. I think every NJ Transit customer would stand behind that," Kolluri said. "It will cost us $48 million. We will charge FIFA fans for those tickets, and it will not be subsidized by our commuters."

The move drew a sharp response from FIFA. As reported by The Athletic's Adam Crafton, FIFA said it was "quite surprised" by Sherrill's position on transportation, adding that host city agreements signed in 2018 required free transportation for fans to all matches.

FIFA's statement added that the organization "worked for years" with each host city on transportation and mobility plans, including "advocating for millions of dollars in federal funding" to support host cities.

"FIFA World Cup will bring millions of fans to North America along with related economic impact. 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."

Other U.S. host cities have announced similar increases in transit fares. Recently, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced $80 tickets from Boston to Gillette Stadium. That price is roughly four times the usual $20 roundtrip fare the MBTA charges for New England Patriots and New England Revolution games and other events at Gillette Stadium.

Other cities such as Kansas City are offering lower-cost options, including bus tickets from the airport to the planned fanfest downtown, as well as daily, weekly and tournament passes for unlimited regional travel priced at $5.25 and $50, respectively.

Compared with previous World Cups, fans in the United States are expected to pay significantly more for transportation. During the 2022 tournament in Qatar, ticket holders received free metro access. Similarly, UEFA, the governing body of soccer in Europe, covered public transportation costs for ticket holders in host cities during Euro 2024.