In 2024, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced that MetLife Stadium would be the Host Venue of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, along with seven other matches throughout the tournament. They will be hosting five Group Stage Matches on June 13, 16, 22, 25, and 27, a Round of 32 and 16 on June 30 and July 5, respectively, and the Final on July 19. This was huge news for MetLife, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be the biggest sporting event ever.
The World Cup is expected to bring over one million visitors to New Jersey, which in turn predicts around $2 million in revenue and the ability to support over 14,000 jobs. Despite all of these benefits, under a FIFA plan, all on-site parking is closed, and there will be limited $200+ parking spaces at the American Dream Mall. This change was put into place because MetLife is under the control of FIFA for this event, which causes stricter requirements. Instead of parking, the parking areas will be converted into screening checkpoints, international broadcast compounds, sponsor and hospitality installations, fan festival spaces, and staging areas for buses and emergency services.
The lack of parking options for visitors increases the need for public transportation. NJ Transit has announced that it will be charging $150 for round-trip train tickets from New York Penn Station to MetLife Stadium and $80 for a round-trip shuttle bus service from certain locations. Not only will prices be inflated, but New York Penn Station will be closed to commuters for four hours before the game on match days to ensure that all World Cup ticket holders will be able to travel to and from MetLife Stadium. It was announced that tickets will be checked, commuters will not be able to access Jersey-bound trains, and Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road users will be directed to other entrances.
On April 6, 2026, NJ Transit told The Hoboken Girl, “The mobility plan is still being finalized and will be announced later this month. NJ Transit remains committed to safely transporting 40,000 fans to and from the FIFA matches, while also providing a transportation plan that will minimize the impacts to our regular riders to the greatest extent possible.” The major change for the few match days has left people very upset, especially commuters who rely on the NJ Transit system for work. Kris Kolluri, NJ Transit’s President and CEO, had argued that the World Cup would be the most important security event the United States would be seeing, so during the duration of the World Cup, there would be an increase in security perimeters at New York Penn Station, MetLife Stadium, and Secaucus Junction.
Despite the inconvenient turn hosting the World Cup has taken, there is a silver lining. The PATH Train will continue to run, but riders should still expect a high increase in demand. The PATH will be in service to all riders throughout the World Cup, ticket holder or not, and there are even talks to increase PATH service on game days.
Seth Stein, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), told the Hoboken girl, “We are working closely with the states of New York and New Jersey, the City of New York, the host committee, and our regional and Federal partners to support a safe, efficient, and seamless experience for fans, visitors, and residents. Planning is ongoing, and we are preparing for increased demand across our facilities as part of this coordinated regional effort. Specific operational plans, costs, and funding arrangements are still being finalized in coordination with our partners.” We can only hope that a solution comes from NJ Transit soon.
