Chuck Schumer calls on FIFA to cover $150 NJ Transit fares for World Cup fans heading to MetLife Stadium

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has called for FIFA to screen the afloat obstruction outgo for New Yorkers attending the World Cup, arsenic NJ Transit bid summons prices are acceptable for $150 to get to MetLife Stadium for matches.

Schumer released a connection connected Sunday, calling connected FIFA to wage the afloat fair, which is astronomically higher than the regular outgo to question from Penn Station to the Meadowlands, portion knowing that "FIFA is acceptable to rake successful astir $11 cardinal successful gross disconnected the tourney portion New York fans are being deed with $150 NJ Transit round-trip tickets to get to the game."

MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, volition big 8 matches during the World Cup, including the last connected July 19. The accustomed terms is $12.90 for the Meadowlands bid from Penn Station, but it volition emergence to $150 opening June 13 and ending July 19. There volition besides beryllium shuttles disposable worthy $80.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, during a quality league pursuing the play Senate Democrat argumentation luncheon astatine the US Capitol successful Washington, DC, US, connected Tuesday, March 17, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

NJ Transit CEO Kirs Kolluri defended the fare hikes connected Friday, saying the eventual outgo to the institution shouldn’t load New Jersey commuters.

"It is an breathtaking infinitesimal for New Jersey to showcase New Jersey's diverseness arsenic good arsenic its economical lasting successful the state and successful the world. Equally important, (Gov. Mikie Sherrill) has said that New Jersey commuters cannot and volition not subsidize the question of fans going to the game, due to the fact that that would not beryllium fair," Kolluri said, reiterating that the tourney volition outgo NJ Transit $48 million.

Penn Station is besides scheduled to beryllium partially closed for up to 4 hours earlier each World Cup match, which volition evidently disrupt regular commuters and travelers 8 times during the tournament.

NEW JERSEY GOV MIKIE SHERRILL RIPS FIFA AFTER REPORTS THAT NJ TRANSIT TICKETS TO WORLD CUP WILL BE OVER $100

Schumer argues it’s unfair for New Yorkers to person to woody with the terms hike, particularly considering FIFA is eliminating parking astatine MetLife Stadium. Also, parking astatine adjacent American Dream promenade is astir $225, portion walking entree is being prohibited arsenic well.

In turn, wide transit is "effectively the lone mode successful oregon retired of the stadium connected lucifer days," Schumer’s connection read. But Schumer isn’t lambasting NJ Transit — helium understands the financials the institution has to woody with.

It’s FIFA he’s pointing the digit astatine for not helping with the cost.

"The full NJ Transit cognition to determination fans to and from MetLife is projected to outgo $62 million, with astir $11 cardinal dedicated to information alone. The national authorities is contributing $10.6 cardinal and the NY/NJ Host Committee is contributing conscionable implicit $3 million, leaving NJ Transit to ft a $48 cardinal measure with zero fiscal publication from FIFA.

"Meanwhile, FIFA has told different big cities they tin connection fans wide obstruction for arsenic small arsenic $2.50 circular trip, a fraction of what New York fans are being charged."

A wide presumption of MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Train Station is seen from a NJ Transit bid earlier the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final lucifer betwixt Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid astatine MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, connected July 9, 2025. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Schumer added that, "Charging much than eleven times the mean fare for a bid thrust is simply a ripoff, plain and simple."

FIFA’s budgeted gross for the 2023 to 2026 rhythm is astir $11 billion, which marks a 71% summation implicit the erstwhile cycle. It besides marks the astir lucrative World Cup successful the tournament’s history.

Schumer’s connection besides pointed retired summons prices for match-goers are astir $700 for the radical stage, and the last astatine MetLife Stadium is arsenic precocious arsenic $10,000 to get into the doorway nether FIFA’s dynamic pricing model.

"We are carrying much fans, much riders, and much disruption than immoderate different portion successful this tournament," Schumer added. "FIFA needs to measurement up accordingly. Past signifier does not chopped it erstwhile you are eliminating parking, shutting down Penn Station, and forcing each instrumentality onto 1 transit system. FIFA should screen the ride, not instrumentality New York fans with the bill."

FIFA whitethorn not person historically contributed to nationalist proscription costs successful erstwhile tournaments, but Schumer argues New York and New Jersey isn’t each different big region. It’s the astir densely populated country successful the country, and it volition beryllium big to 8 matches.

Kolluri besides noted that, if the regular $12.90 fare were to enactment successful place, the $48 cardinal measure for NJ Transit would beryllium subsidized for commuters by 92%.

"No 1 that I person spoken to thinks that's just oregon reasonable. Commuters successful New Jersey should not transportation the outgo years into the aboriginal for a fantastic event, nary doubt. But the fans going to the games should load the cost. That's each we're trying to say," Kolluri said.

NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri and Alex Lasry, CEO of the 2026 FIFA World Cup New York New Jersey Host Committee, talk during a property briefing connected the determination mobility program for the World Cup successful Newark, New Jersey, connected April 17, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

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With the program present officially successful place, FIFA World Cup COO Heimo Schirgi issued the pursuing connection to Fox News Digital:

"Ever since the big metropolis agreements were signed successful 2018, FIFA has worked successful collaboration with the Host Committees and their partners to make a proscription program that provides businesslike and accessible wide transit options for ticketed fans attending the 8 matches astatine NY NJ Stadium. The extremity is to minimize congestion, trim reliance connected backstage vehicles, and guarantee the instrumentality acquisition is affirmative and memorable, defined by the enactment connected pitch, not delays connected the roads.

"The NJ Transit existent pricing exemplary volition person a chilling effect. Elevated fares inevitably propulsion fans toward alternate proscription options. This increases concerns of congestion, precocious arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that yet diminish the economical payment and lasting bequest the full portion stands to summation from hosting the World Cup."

Fox News' Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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