A leading US lawmaker and New Jersey’s governor have both asked FIFA to pay for World Cup travel amid ticket price hikes.
Published April 16, 2026
With public transportation to and from World Cup games repeatedly costing more than $100 each way, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is the latest U.S. official to speak out to the public about the cost of the 2026 tournament and ask FIFA to help with costs.
Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, had already on Tuesday asked FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, to pay for public transportation for the World Cup.
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This comes in the wake of reports that local governments in New Jersey are planning significant price increases during the convention.
According to the US-based website The Athletic, train tickets for World Cup games from New York’s Penn Station to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, cost more than $100. Standard fare for this route is $12.90.
“I’m not going to be pushing that tab on New Jersey commuters for years to come. It’s not fair,” Sherrill posted on X on Thursday. “FIFA should pay for the rides, but if they don’t, they’re not going to give them to New Jersey commuters.”
Official train ticket costs have not yet been released, but neither Sherrill, the local World Cup organizing committee nor the New Jersey Transit Authority ruled out they would cost more than $100, The Athletic reported.
“We inherited an agreement where FIFA won’t pay a single dollar for World Cup transportation costs, and while the NJ Department of Transportation still has a $48 million bill to transport 40,000 fans safely from stadium to destination, FIFA is generating $11 billion from this World Cup,” Sherrill tweeted.
“We’re not going to burden New Jersey taxpayers with that bill for years.”
A day earlier, New York Governor Cathy Hochul tweeted: “The World Cup should be as affordable and accessible as possible. Charging $100+ for a short train ride seems horribly expensive to me.”
“FIFA stands to gain nearly $11 billion from this summer’s World Cup, and New York area commuters and residents are paying the bill,” said Schumer, who represents New York in the Senate.
“The least FIFA can do is make sure New Yorkers can get to the stadium without being gouged at the turnstiles. I’m calling on FIFA to step up and pay for transportation to the host city and state.”
“New York commuters and residents should not receive $11 billion in subsidies.”
The backlash against New York’s transit pricing follows news of similar costs in Massachusetts. A train ticket from Boston to Foxboro, Mass., for a World Cup game costs $80, and a bus can cost up to $95.
A FIFA spokesperson responded on Thursday with a statement outlining a “travel plan” to support host cities.
“We are very surprised by the New Jersey Governor’s approach today regarding fan transportation. The original FIFA World Cup 2026 Host City Agreement, signed in 2018, mandated free transportation of fans to all matches. Recognizing the economic burden this places on host cities, in 2023 FIFA adjusted the Host City Agreement requirements across all host cities as follows: All match ticket holders and authorized individuals shall have access to transportation (public transport) or additional planned transportation at a cost to enable them to travel to the stadium on the day of the match.
“Furthermore, FIFA has been working with host cities on transportation and mobility planning for years, including advocating for millions of dollars in federal funding to support host city transportation.
“The FIFA World Cup will bring millions of fans to North America, with associated economic benefits. Many of these fans will travel to NYNJ to enjoy the eight scheduled games, including the FIFA World Cup Finals. FIFA is not aware of other major events, including other major sports or global concert tours, that have previously been held at NYNJ Stadium and required organizers to pay for fan travel.”
The United States will host the World Cup with Mexico and Canada from June to July.
