NJ Transit’s World Cup Tickets Cost More Than Plane to Qatar, Still No FIFA Fare Help

KEY POINTS

•NJ Transit raised round-trip fares from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium from $12.90 to $150 for FIFA World Cup game days.
•New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill criticized FIFA for not funding transportation, leaving NJ Transit with a $48 million bill.
•MetLife Stadium will host eight matches with 78,000 seats but only 40,000 train tickets will be sold per match at this new price.

In a dazzling display of creative budgeting, NJ Transit announced their new $150 round-trip fare from Manhattan's Penn Station to MetLife Stadium for World Cup games, up from a mere $12.90. For comparison, that’s like paying a small mortgage to cover a 9-mile journey! The stadium seats 78,000 but only 40,000 train tickets will be sold for each of the eight matches, including the July 19 final. Meanwhile, shuttle bus rides pitch in with an $80 fee. Governor Mikie Sherrill lamented FIFA’s zero-dollar transportation contribution, calling out the $48 million New Jersey's transit got stuck with — while FIFA pockets $11 billion. NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri insists 'this isn't price gouging,' but rather 'literally recouping costs.' New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul found the over-$100 tag 'awfully high,' making us all wonder if the World Cup really means World Kuping our wallets dry.