The 2026 World Cup faces its first crisis... Bitter dispute over transportation prices in New Jersey

The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) has criticized the decision of the New Jersey Transport Authority to raise the price of a train ticket between New York and MetLife Stadium to $150 during the  2026 World Cup  in North America, saying the price is "unjustified" and may prevent a large number of fans from attending matches.

The federation published a comparison of transportation prices in other host cities, in an attempt to highlight that New Jersey's decision is a clear exception compared to other cities that committed to affordable pricing during the tournament.

World Cup operations director Haimo Shergi said the high price tag and then asking FIFA to bear the cost "is something that has never happened at a major sporting or entertainment event", stressing that the increase of 10 times the usual tariff would push fans to use alternative modes of transport, which could create additional pressure on infrastructure.

The journey from Penn Station in New York to the stadium takes only about half an hour, but the new price has sparked widespread controversy, especially since other World Cup host cities have maintained prices ranging from $1.25 to $15

New Jersey Governor Mickey Sherrill said FIFA, which expects to generate up to  $11  billion in revenue from the tournament, should help cover the costs of fan transportation, but Shergi responded by stressing that these revenues are not profits, and that FIFA is a non-profit organization whose revenues are reinvested in the development of soccer around the world, especially youth and women's programs.