2026 World Cup: No More Free Transportation for Supporters

For the Indonesian football public, the 2026 World Cup will be easily accessible. Watching 104 matches featuring the best football stars in the world will be available for free on TVRI. However, that entertainment atmosphere will not be felt if fans wish to directly support their country or favorite team in North America.

Since its inception in 1930, the World Cup has tarnished the slogan "people's game" in football. FIFA, the global football authority, has made the World Cup its primary source of revenue. Unsurprisingly, the ticket prices for the World Cup are always higher compared to watching matches in domestic competitions.

However, amidst soaring ticket prices, FIFA has extended its hand to provide convenience to supporters who are willing to dig deep into their pockets to purchase tickets and undertake long journeys from their home countries.

Access to entertainment supporting the matches, such as public transportation, is free for ticket holders. Entry permits to the host country have also been simplified.

The same does not apply to the 2026 World Cup, especially for the matches held in the United States. For example, NJ Transit, the public transportation operator in the New Jersey–New York state, will implement a fare of 150 US dollars (Rp 2.6 million) for round-trip trains from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium.

The public transportation is referred to as The MetLife "sticker shock," which is expected to serve around 40,000 supporters on match days. This fare applies to eight matches at MetLife Stadium, including the final match. There is a significant increase of nearly 1,200 percent from the normal fare of 12.9 US dollars (Rp 221,673).

The significant increase was made to cover the production costs for the preparation of facilities supporting the World Cup. NJ Transit reported that they had to spend 62 million US dollars (Rp 1.06 trillion) to provide public transportation for the spectators of the 2026 World Cup.

Conversely, the support from the US federal government and sponsors only covers operational costs amounting to 14 million USD (Rp 240.6 billion). New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill stated that the pricing decision is necessary to avoid a permanent increase in train ticket prices that local users will experience after the World Cup.

Sherrill has also communicated with FIFA to provide public transportation subsidies, but there has been no response from FIFA.

"I will not allow the residents of New Jersey to subsidize World Cup ticket holders. If FIFA is unwilling to cover operational costs, then the supporters must bear the burden," said Sherrill as reported by The Economic Times, Monday (20/4/2026).

A similar statement was also made by NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri. "This policy is not a price scam. We are simply trying to cover operational costs," said Kolluri.

The distance from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium is only about 15.7 kilometers. The train journey takes one hour. This situation has led supporters to actively discuss the high ticket prices on social media.

Fans are not alone. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also condemned the extraordinary increase in train fares to MetLife Stadium. "Charging more than 100 US dollars for a short train ride seems very unreasonable to me," said Hochul.

Another point of concern is the lack of alternative transportation modes to MetLife Stadium. The venue, used for the NFL, the American football competition, is not close to the city center or public buildings. MetLife Stadium is surrounded by highways. Consequently, supporters have no other option but to take the train to the stadium.

Using a private car or Uber is also difficult. There are no drop-off points near the stadium. The extensive parking area at MetLife Stadium is reserved solely for team vehicles, FIFA delegates, officials, and other match support personnel.

The only parking area near the stadium is located at American Dream Mall, which is nearly two kilometers from the stadium entrance. However, daily parking in that area is subject to a high fee of 225 US dollars (Rp 3.86 million).

Not only New Jersey, the city government of Boston has also decided to increase the public transportation fares heading to the event venue, Gillette Stadium. Express buses will be charged a fare of 95 US dollars (Rp 1.6 million).

Subsequently, the train is charged a round-trip fare of 80 US dollars (Rp 1.4 million). The rates for these two public transportation services have increased fourfold compared to the normal rates.

Amid the fare increases, there are at least four host cities in the U.S. that did not raise public transportation costs. They are Kansas City, Houston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.

Houston, for example, maintains a standard fare of 1.25 USD (Rp 21,480) for a bus ride and 4.5 USD (Rp 77,300) for a single trip on the commuter train. Meanwhile, Kansas City is also providing shuttle services from downtown to the stadium at a price of 15 USD (Rp 257,760).

Nevertheless, charging fees for supporters traveling to the stadium on match days is an unusual practice for the World Cup. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, all supporters were able to use public transportation, both the MRT and buses, free of charge throughout the tournament.

The same applies when Indonesia hosted the U-17 World Cup in 2023. Shuttle buses to and from the stadium were provided free of charge.

The public transportation fare regulations were introduced as a result of changes to the Host City Agreement provided by FIFA to the host cities of the 2026 World Cup. In 2023, FIFA removed the clause requiring host cities to provide free public transportation for match ticket holders.

The reason is that the city government is experiencing inflated operational costs to prepare for the major football tournament. The "losses" must be borne by the supporters.

On the other hand, the federal government of the United States has only allocated funds for the FIFA World Cup Grant Program (FWCGP) amounting to 625 million US dollars (Rp 10.74 trillion). These funds may only be used by city/state governments for intelligence, cybersecurity, and police overtime costs.

There is no federal government budget for supporting operations, such as public transportation; activities related to tournaments, such as holding concerts in fan zones; and city cleanliness.

This has led host cities to charge for fan zones, which have traditionally been free at World Cups. These areas are where supporters who don't have match tickets can watch matches on big screens, and other entertainment activities are available.

The Independent reports that New York and Los Angeles have set fan zone admission at $12.50 (Rp 214,800). Meanwhile, Kansas City has announced that its fan zone will be free, but fans are encouraged to purchase a $55 "premium admission ticket" for better seating and restrooms in a designated area.

Therefore, for supporters who wish to come directly to the US, they must be prepared to dig deeper into their pockets and sacrifice their savings to spend time in the stadium stands. In fact, they will become the supporters with the highest expenditures in the history of the tournament.