New Jersey governor criticises FIFA over transport costs for World Cup
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has accused FIFA of leaving fans to shoulder inflated transport costs for this summer’s World Cup, demanding the governing body provide financial support, reports BritPanorama.
The governor expressed her concerns on X, pointing out the significant financial burden imposed by the agreement inherited by her state. “We inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup,” she wrote.
Sherrill underscored the disparity between FIFA’s massive revenues and the costs faced by New Jersey Transit, which will incur a £35.4m ($48m) bill to transport fans to and from matches while FIFA is projected to generate approximately £8.1bn ($11bn) in revenue.
She insisted, “FIFA should pay for the rides,” as train fares for the half-hour journey from Penn Station in New York to MetLife Stadium are set to surge dramatically under special event pricing plans. According to The Athletic, tickets may exceed £73.80 ($100), a sevenfold increase from the standard return fare of £9.50 ($12.90).
Families and older supporters face particular hardship, as no concession rates are being offered, meaning children and pensioners will pay the same prices as adults. NY Transit is expected to announce the pricing structure formally on Friday.
Similar pricing increases have already been noted at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough near Boston, where rail tickets have risen to £59 ($80) and coach fares to £70 ($95).
FIFA has responded to the criticism, stating through a spokesperson that it was surprised by the governor’s comments. The governing body pointed to changes made in 2023, when original Host City Agreements from 2018 were revised. Initially, free transport for all attendees was mandated, but this was amended to require travel “at cost” in light of the financial burden on host cities.
The spokesperson highlighted that FIFA had collaborated for years with host cities on transport planning and had advocated for substantial federal funding. FIFA also noted that it was unaware of any major previous events at the stadium where organisers were expected to fund supporter transport.
The elevated fares will directly impact supporters from both England and Scotland travelling to matches this summer. England will face Ghana at Foxborough on 23 June before competing against Panama at MetLife Stadium on 27 June. Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad is scheduled to play twice at the Massachusetts venue, meeting Haiti on 13 June and Morocco six days later.
Beyond rail costs, driving to matches presents further financial challenges, with parking at MetLife Stadium priced at £166 ($225) per vehicle and Foxborough charging £129 ($175) for a single space.
As the anticipation for the World Cup builds, such issues with transport logistics reveal just how vital it is that fans are supported adequately during major events. The balance between commercial revenue and fan experience hangs critically in the balance.
