NJ Transit plans to charge $100 for train tickets to Metlife Stadium during the 2026 World Cup, significantly up from the usual fare of $12.90. This price hike is part of a broader trend of increased costs associated with the event.
The 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico has essentially turned into a social experiment as to how much FIFA and its contemporaries can extract financially from fans.
We're getting to the point where no aspect of this World Cup is safe from price gouging. And that seems to include public transit.
How does a $100 train ticket to Metlife Stadium (soon to be renamed New York New Jersey Stadium) sound? Well, fans looking to travel to the venue from New York's Penn Station should be prepared to pay that drastically hiked fare come World Cup time, according to The Athletic.
The 18-mile rail journey, which includes a stop at Secaucus station, ordinarily costs $12.90 for a return ticket — the same pricing for the FIFA Club World Cup final last summer. The new special event pricing, however, is due to come into effect for the World Cup and is currently due to be over $100.
A seven-fold increase in train tickets would be just another blow in an apparent effort to price out fans from enjoying the first U.S. World Cup since 1994.
A spokesperson for NJ Transit did offer a loose denial to that price point, insisting that the train cost wasn't finalized yet. Via The Athletic:
“The ticket prices for match day travel have not been finalized and any reference to cost would be unconfirmed speculation.”
“However, as the Governor clearly stated at an earlier press conference this morning with NJ Transit, the cost for the eight matches will not be borne by our regular commuters.”
We'll have to see if NJ Transit walks back from what would be another objectively anti-fan decision.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NJ Transit reportedly planning to charge $100 for World Cup train tickets
NJ Transit is raising ticket prices to $100 as part of special event pricing for the 2026 World Cup, reflecting a trend of increased costs for fans attending the event.
The usual cost for a train ticket from New York's Penn Station to Metlife Stadium is $12.90 for a return trip.
The new $100 train ticket pricing is expected to take effect during the 2026 World Cup, coinciding with the event's schedule.
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