Fans heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium just got some bad news on how they’ll get there. NJ Transit announced Friday that it will sell only 40,000 round-trip train tickets for each of the eight games at the East Rutherford venue, priced at $150 each. Once those sell out, no more will be available.
NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri said tickets go on sale May 13 only through the NJ Transit mobile app.
They won’t be sold at stations or ticket machines on game day. And when the 40,000th ticket is gone, that’s it.
“Those unable to secure a ticket to get to the game will have to go somewhere else,” Kolluri said on April 17.
The plan covers all eight matches MetLife will host this summer, including the tournament final on July 19.
The games run from June 13 through early July, with crowds expected to be around 78,000 per match.
Officials say about 40,000 fans will use NJ Transit rail, another 10,000 will use shuttles, and the rest will rely on rideshares or other options.
No general parking will be allowed at the stadium on match days for security and crowd control reasons.
World Cup fare hikes.
A normal one-way ticket from New York Penn Station to the Meadowlands area usually runs about $12.90, but the World Cup fare jumps more than ten times that amount for the round trip. Kolluri said the higher price isn’t gouging, but it’s to cover costs.
NJ Transit faces a $48 million bill to run the special service across all the games. Outside grants have covered only a small part of that.
The rail setup will see fans take trains from New York Penn Station or other New Jersey stops to Secaucus Junction, then transfer to the Meadowlands Rail service, which runs straight to the stadium. Service ramps up four hours before kickoff.
After the game, trains will run for three hours to clear the area. Only people with both a valid World Cup match ticket and the NJ Transit game-day ticket will be allowed on those trains.
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Kolluri used past problems to explain the hard cap. He brought up the 2014 Super Bowl at the same stadium, when thousands of fans were stuck for hours because the system couldn’t handle it.
This time, he said, safety comes first, which is the main reason why the agency has committed to moving exactly 40,000 riders per game and won’t go beyond that.
That leaves many fans in a tough spot. With roughly half the stadium crowd shut out of the main train option, many will turn to ride-hailing apps, which could see surge pricing on big match days.
Shuttle details are still being worked out, with some local politicians already pushing back, arguing that FIFA, which stands to make billions from the tournament, should help cover more of the transportation costs.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill noted on social media that NJ Transit is stuck with the $48 million tab while FIFA rakes in revenue and charges fans thousands for some match tickets.
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Others called the setup unfair to regular soccer supporters who may not be quick enough, or lucky enough, to grab one of the limited train tickets when they drop.
Non-World Cup trains
The agency says it will keep regular commuter service running where possible, though parts of Penn Station will close to non-World Cup trains for several hours before and after matches.
Officials are urging people who can work from home on game days to do so, especially for evening matches that overlap with rush hour.
The announcement comes after months of planning between NJ Transit, the New York-New Jersey Host Committee, and local and federal partners.
Alex Lasry, CEO of the host committee, said the goal is a “seamless travel experience” for those who get on the trains. But for fans left without a ticket, the message from Kolluri was that they will have to figure out another way.
Tickets for the transportation will be non-transferable and checked before boarding. Fans need to buy them in advance and also show their World Cup match ticket.
