Governor Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey has strongly criticized the existing World Cup hosting agreement, which unfairly exempts FIFA from covering transportation costs to the matches held at MetLife Stadium. She has vowed to oppose the proposed price hikes for this service.
NJ Transit is considering a significant fare increase, setting the cost at an alarming $100 for fans traveling from New York Penn Station to MetLife Stadium during the eight FIFA World Cup games scheduled in New Jersey.
Typically, a ticket for this route costs around $12.90, meaning fans would face a shocking 775% price surge.
Although an NJ Transit spokesperson mentioned that the fare hike is “not yet finalized,” it has already sparked outrage among local residents, including Governor Sherrill.
Since taking office earlier this year, Sherrill has expressed frustration over inheriting a deal where FIFA contributes nothing towards transportation for the World Cup.
She warned that this situation could leave NJ Transit with a hefty $48 million expense, as they are responsible for transporting more than 40,000 fans to and from the stadium.
At the same time, the haughty honchos at FIFA are set to make an estimated $11 billion off the Cup, so covering the transportation bill would only eat up an estimated .4% of their entire revenue.
“I won’t stick New Jersey 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 gonna let New Jersey commuters get taken for one,” Sherrill said.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer also criticized FIFA for “[handing] the bill” to the public.
“The least FIFA can do is ensure New York residents can go to the stadium without being gouged at the turnstile. I am demanding FIFA step up and cover transportation costs for host cities and states. New York commuters and residents should not subsidize an $11 billion windfall,” Schumer wrote on X.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul boasted that prices won’t be inflated on the MTA, though she appeared to forget that not one MTA train or bus travels to the East Rutherford stadium.
Parking passes on the stadium grounds are also going for $225 apiece. The American Dream entertainment complex said that it partnered with FIFA to sell a “limited” amount of general parking in its section of the MetLife lot.
Even if the price point is resolved, New Jersey-bound commuters will still be barred from the NJ Transit portion of Penn Station during select times on game days — with six out of eight shutout hours falling during rush hour.
Fans in other host cities aren’t faring any better. Those attending matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts face $95 tickets on the buses operated by Yankee Line.
FIFA, though, likely won’t budge, since it hasn’t historically funded local transportation to any World Cup match.
In early March, the Trump administration announced that it would funnel $100.3 million “to enhance public transportation” in the host cities ahead of the Cup.
The funds are supposed to “support planning, capital, and operating expenses” for the matches and other related events in host cities.
It’s not immediately clear how much was appropriated to New Jersey, or how the funds were divvied up.
The World Cup has only been hosted in the US once before.
The 1994 World Cup was split between arenas in Washington DC, Boston, Orlando, Chicago, Dallas, East Rutherford, Detroit, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Anywhere from four to eight matches were played at each arena. Seven took place at MetLife Stadium.
The cup was marred by unseasonably high temperatures that tormented fans and players alike. The heat inside the Pontiac Silverdome was so oppressive that some informally dubbed it the “sauna-dome,” as reported by The Independent at the time.
