Rail fare to World Cup final stadium is cut ... to Ksh14,000

AFP
By AFP May 09, 2026 07:03 (EAT)
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Rail fare to World Cup final stadium is cut ... to Ksh14,000

Workers install the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium (temporarily renamed from MetLife stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 7, 2026. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

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The price of a roundtrip rail ticket from New York to the nearby stadium that will host the final and seven other matches at football's World Cup is being cut from $150 to $105, following outrage from fans, an official said Thursday.

Supporters' groups had accused organizers of price gouging on transit to the New York New Jersey stadium, an approximately 18-mile (30-kilometer) roundtrip journey. The return fare is typically $12.90.

Just 40,000 train tickets will be available for each of the games at the 82,500-capacity stadium.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, responsible for the railroad that will ferry fans from Manhattan to the Meadowlands sports complex, "asked NJ TRANSIT to find private sponsorships and other sources to reduce the cost of the ticket," said the system's chief Kris Kolluri.

"I am pleased we are able to reduce the price by at least 30 percent and bring the cost down to $105 per ticket."

The decrease is unlikely to put to bed the row over the steep pricing that also drew rebukes from football's governing body, FIFA.

FIFA, already under fire over the high cost of match tickets, previously said that the original host city agreements "required free transportation for fans to all matches."

A re-negotiation stipulated that transport be offered "at cost" on match days, FIFA added.

In contrast to the New York New Jersey stadium, fans heading to Philadelphia's Financial Field stadium, another World Cup venue, will pay just $2.90 to reach the ground, and nothing to leave it on the city's subway system.

Reacting to the $150 price point, England's Football Supporters' Association (FSA) chief Thomas Concannon told the BBC, "we weren't expecting to be gouged."

The United States is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico. The tournament kicks off on June 11.

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