Round-trip rail tickets have been reduced from $150 to $98, and bus fares have been reduced from $80 to $20, state officials said.
Published May 14, 2026
Local governments in New Jersey and New York have lowered train and bus ticket prices for commuters to their joint World Cup venues during the tournament.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Wednesday that New Jersey Transit train tickets to MetLife Stadium, which was renamed New Jersey-New York Stadium for the FIFA World Cup, will cost $98, down from the previous $150 round-trip fare.
“Ahead of tonight’s NJ Transit World Cup rail tickets going on sale, NJ Transit will be reducing ticket prices to $98 without spending New Jersey taxpayer money,” Sherrill wrote in a social media post.
The move followed intense opposition from domestic and international soccer fans who had planned to watch the World Cup at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the final will be held on July 19.
The $98 fare charged during the World Cup games in New Jersey is significantly higher than the standard fare of $13 for the 29-kilometer (18-mile) round trip from New York City’s Penn Station.
When the $150 fares were announced, Sherrill defended them, suggesting the increases were necessary to ensure the state’s commuters do not suffer from the “taboo for years to come” of hosting the World Cup, which returns to the United States for the first time since 1994.
New Jersey Department of Transportation officials said it would cost $62 million to transport fans to and from the stadium during the tournament, but outside grants covered only $14 million of the projected cost.
“This is not rate gouging,” New Jersey Transit President and CEO Chris Corulli said last month. “We’re literally trying to recover our costs.”
Meanwhile, shuttle bus fares from New York City to World Cup venues have also been reduced.
New York Governor Cathy Hochul also announced on Wednesday that the price of shuttle bus tickets to games will be reduced from the original $80 round trip ticket price to $20.
The NYNJ Organizing Committee’s move provides some respite to fans who would have already spent thousands of dollars to attend World Cup matches, mainly due to exorbitant match ticket prices, domestic and international airfares, and visa fees.
Host city officials said 20% of bus tickets for each game will be reserved exclusively for New York state residents. Remaining tickets will be available to all fans attending the game.
The United States is co-hosting the event with Mexico and Canada. It starts on June 11th.
