Bank cards will be getting a workout. The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, are set to host the World Cup of football this summer, and they are eagerly anticipating the event that draws millions of people. As the event approaches, fans are in for a shock as they discover the astronomical amounts they will have to shell out over the course of the five-week competition.
It’s not just about match tickets, which are already being sold at unprecedented prices, but also about all the extra costs that will seriously inflate the bill for fans making the trip. In recent days, it’s been the exorbitant amounts charged for public transport by some host cities that have raised eyebrows.
The media outlet The Athletic reported that the New Jersey Transit, which operates a train connecting New York to the MetLife Stadium, is considering charging $100 (83 euros) to spectators on match days. Normally, the round trip costs only $12.90. The state’s Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill seemingly justified this eightfold increase by citing a sense of injustice: FIFA would be reaping all the profits while the territories would be left to handle security and transportation on their own.
Eight matches, including France against Senegal, as well as the final, are scheduled at the MetLife Stadium. Sources told The Athletic that the total cost for NJ Transit to meet FIFA’s security and comfort requirements could reach up to $48 million.
Access to the stadium, located 30 kilometers from New York, is very challenging. Road traffic, via taxis or buses/shuttles, is complicated by numerous bridges that serve as bottlenecks. As a result, it can sometimes take several hours to travel from New York to the stadium by road. The train is the only efficient option.
Last month, American media outlets revealed that fares for trips between Boston and the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro would increase from $20 for an NFL game to $80 for World Cup matches. It was also learned that the alternative bus service from Boston to the stadiums would cost $95 per seat.
Special World Cup fares will not offer any discounts for seniors or children, unlike in some cases. Such an increase has raised concerns, even in the United States.
This has prompted some officials to call on FIFA to dig into its pockets. The Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer from New York wrote on social media that FIFA, “which is set to make nearly $11 billion this summer with the World Cup,” should “at the very least ensure that local residents can get to the stadium without being fleeced at the turnstile.”
FIFA is eyeing revenues of $11 billion for its 2023-2026 cycle, which includes the first World Cup involving 48 countries. The showdown between the sports body and the American states is just getting started.
