Getting to the World Cup might mean paying $250 for parking or $30 000 for a helicopter
5 min readMillions of fans gearing up for this year’s Fifa World Cup have already been hit with sticker shock over ticket prices. Now many are realising that getting to the stadiums – especially in US cities – will likely be costly, chaotic or time-consuming. And perhaps all three.
For those with deep pockets in New York and Boston, one option is a helicopter to soar over the traffic gridlock, costing as much as $30,000 for a group of eight passengers. More down-market options include rental cars and Ubers, though those come with their own issues, including surge pricing and inflated costs for parking – $225, for example, for a spot near New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Seven weeks before the games get underway at 11 US cities and five others in Canada and Mexico, many fans are still working out how they’re going to get from their hotels to their seats, and as each week passes they’re hearing of new expenses.
Some public transport systems are jacking up fares, while other stadiums will have limited public service, or none at all.
Host cities are working to plug the gaps, desperate to avoid an embarrassing disaster on a very public global stage with billions of dollars at stake. The World Cup is touted as a once-in-a-generation economic windfall and a showcase to demonstrate America’s ability to lure foreign visitors despite backlash from some over President Donald Trump’s domestic and foreign policies, including the war in Iran. New York and New Jersey project a $3.3 billion economic lift. The total across the US could reach $30.5 billion, according to Fifa.
“It’s a daunting task,” said Paul Skoutelas, chief executive officer of the American Public Transportation Association. Transit “agencies have their primary role of providing daily service, and now on top of that they’re going to have to provide extra services, expanded services in terms of not only their fleets but their hours of service.”
A banner for the Fifa World Cup at Secaucus Junction station in New Jersey, on April 17.
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As the games get nearer, a dispute is heating up between New Jersey officials and Fifa, soccer’s governing body, over who should pay for the extra costs associated with transporting fans to games. The soccer group points out that it inked agreements with the host cities on costs and operations in 2023, and it was clearly spelled out in the contract that Fifa wouldn’t be paying.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill is pushing back against Fifa’s unwillingness to help offset the expenses given a forecast it will see $11 billion in revenue from the tournament. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey’s Meadowlands will host eight games, including the final.
Sherrill says the costs mean New Jersey Transit will have no choice but to raise train fares for World Cup matches to a staggering $150 round trip, while special shuttle bus tickets will run $80.
Commuters wait to board a New Jersey Transit train at Secaucus Junction station.
Demand on the system is expected to surge as there won’t be parking at MetLife Stadium, with a limited number of spots costing $225 at nearby lots.
“We are committed to ensuring costs are shared fairly,” Sherrill said in a statement. “We will not be subsidising World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ Transit every day.”
Fifa officials said the organisation was “quite surprised” when Sherrill said it should help shoulder transportation costs. The agreement with host cities allows them to charge transit riders at cost, a change from an earlier pact that required free transportation, Fifa said in a statement.
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“To arbitrarily set elevated prices and demand Fifa absorb these costs is unprecedented,” said Heimo Schirgi, the chief operating officer for Fifa World Cup 2026. “No other global event, concert or major sporting promoter has faced such a demand.”
New Jersey isn’t alone in raising transport fares. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which oversees Boston’s transit system, has started selling $80 round-trip World Cup train tickets to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
There will be 14 trains running for each World Cup match, up from the one or two typical for games for the National Football League’s New England Patriots. To get the stadium’s train station up to par, the MBTA and the state are spending about $35 million on upgrades, including new platforms to accommodate crowds.
Even if all goes right, the trains can only accommodate about a third of the fans expected to fill the stadium’s 65,000 seats. Most people typically get to games and concerts at Gillette by car, but the site will only have about 5,000 parking spots for the World Cup, a quarter of its usual number, to make room for an expanded security perimeter and fan activities. Official parking passes cost $175 for opening-round games and $270 for a quarterfinal match.
Nationwide, the federal government is allocating about $100 million to help public transportation systems pay for World Cup expenses, including running more trains and buses as well as labor and security costs. But that amount isn’t enough to cover the extra services, Skoutelas said. Host cities’ share of the funds is calculated by stadium seat capacity and number of matches being held in the area.
Mass-transit systems across the US have struggled since the pandemic to improve service and balance their budgets as ridership levels, while inching back, still trail what they were in 2019. Public transportation providers overwhelmingly rely on revenue sources beyond their farebox collections, whether it’s state subsidies or revenue from tolls, sales-tax collections or other sources.
A sign promoting train tickets to Gillette Stadium for the World Cup at the South Station commuter rail station in Boston.
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In Los Angeles, thrifty attendees can pay $1.75 each way for buses that start running to the stadium four hours before the games. For drivers, the official Fifa parking starts at $250.
Philadelphia’s transit system will provide free rides home on the train after riders pay the usual $2.90 fee to get to their World Cup match, according to the city’s host committee. Atlanta’s public transit will extend service hours and provide staff to help direct fans. Houston’s system plans to run more buses and trains to carry fans to its stadium.
In the New York City area, Wings Air Helicopters will offer service between Manhattan and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. The cost starts at $6,000 roundtrip with capacity for five or six passengers, plus any additional special-event fees charged by the airport. From there, it’s about a 4-mile drive to MetLife Stadium, and private car services can be arranged. Blade Air Mobility helicopter flights between Manhattan and Teterboro will start at $5,700 roundtrip.
In Boston, most helicopters can only get as close as a tiny airport in the town of Norwood, which is still about nine miles from the pitch. From there, customers can get a black-car service to the game, but they’ll sit in the same traffic approaching Gillette Stadium as everyone else.
Blue Hill Helicopters is offering private round-trip rides between Boston’s Logan International Airport and Norwood, a roughly five-minute trip, for as much as $29,999 for a group of eight. Blue Hill chief pilot Braveen Mahendran said there’s plenty of demand.
“We’ve got a couple bookings already,” Mahendran said, “but I’m expecting a lot more.”
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