Lead
New York and New Jersey officials have lowered the price of train and shuttle bus tickets to the joint World Cup venue after an intense backlash from fans. New Jersey Transit train tickets to the stadium — renamed New Jersey New York Stadium for the tournament — will now cost $98 for a return fare, down from the originally announced $150, according to Al Jazeera. Shuttle bus tickets from New York City have also been cut from $80 to $20.
The move follows complaints from local and international football fans about the high cost of getting to matches at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the tournament final is scheduled for July 19.
Coverage Comparison
Al Jazeera reported the announcement of reduced ticket prices, attributing it to a statement by New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill. A separate Al Jazeera report focused on fan outrage and broader criticism of transportation costs, comparing the U.S. arrangements unfavorably with previous World Cup hosts.
Key Claims
The new return train fare of $98 is still significantly higher than the regular $13 round-trip fare from New York City's Penn Station, a distance of about 29km (18 miles). The $98 fare will apply during World Cup matches hosted in New Jersey.
Governor Sherrill announced the price cut on Wednesday in a social media post, saying the reduction was made without using New Jersey taxpayer money. When the original $150 fare was announced, Sherrill had defended the upcharge as necessary to prevent state commuters from being left with a long-term bill for hosting the World Cup.
NJ Transit officials said it would cost $62 million to transport fans to and from the stadium over the course of the tournament, with outside grants covering only $14 million of those costs. NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri said last month: "This isn't price gouging. We're literally trying to recoup our costs."
In addition to the train fare cut, shuttle bus tickets to and from matches have been reduced from the initial $80 round-trip price to $20. Twenty percent of bus tickets for each match will be reserved exclusively for New York state residents.
The tournament, which the U.S. is cohosting with Mexico and Canada, begins on June 11.
The price cuts come amid wider scrutiny of transportation costs for the World Cup. Some host cities have been able to avoid special surcharges. Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle have stadiums linked directly to their rail systems, and regular fares will apply. Miami-Dade County officials will offer free shuttles to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Philadelphia will offer free rides on the way back from the stadium thanks to funding from FIFA sponsor Airbnb, and Kansas City, Missouri, is running $15 shuttles.
Fans and researchers have criticized the high transportation costs, particularly when compared with past World Cups. The 2006 World Cup in Germany featured a "KombiTicket" that gave fans free access to local public transportation on match days. In Russia in 2018, long-distance trains between host cities were free, and in Qatar in 2022, free metro access helped make traveling between stadiums part of the tournament experience.
FIFA is expected to earn $13 billion from the 2023-26 cycle that includes the World Cup.
Perspectives
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has called on FIFA to cover the transportation costs to matches. FIFA has pushed back, arguing that no other global event has been asked to absorb such costs and that its initial agreements with host cities called for free transportation for fans to all matches.