England supporters attending the World Cup in the United States are facing exorbitant travel costs, with a train ticket from New York to the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey priced at £111 for a journey that normally costs just £9.50. The 15-minute, nine-mile trip to the venue where the Three Lions will play Panama in their final group match represents a nearly twelvefold increase on the usual fare.
Thomas Concannon, head of the Football Supporters’ Association England, described the prices as “astronomical” and accused organisers of fleecing fans. “You’re supposed to be welcoming fans from around the world,” he said. “Every single thing coming out of this tournament so far is just fans getting fleeced.” He also raised concerns about the lack of concessionary prices for families and senior citizens.
Limited parking at the stadium costs £166 per match, and officials expect around 40,000 fans to use mass transit for each game. The price hike has sparked a row between New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and FIFA, with Sherrill insisting that FIFA, which is making an estimated $11 billion from the tournament, should foot the transport bill rather than burdening local commuters.
NJ Transit president Kris Kolluri defended the fares, saying they were necessary to recoup the £46 million cost of transporting fans, of which only £10 million is offset by grants. He denied allegations of price gouging. Meanwhile, FIFA’s chief operating officer for the World Cup, Heimo Schirgi, hit back at Sherrill’s demands, calling them “unprecedented” and warning that the pricing model would push fans towards alternative transport, increasing congestion.
For England’s first two matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, fans will have to pay £59 for a 44-mile train journey from Boston. The Football Supporters Association has previously criticised the “scandalous” cost of match tickets, estimating that if England reach the final, fans would spend roughly £5,200 on tickets alone.
