For quite some time, I had been intending to attend at least one game, and preferably several, for this World Cup.
However, it became clear as the World Cup actually approached that it would be one single game, at most. Prices had been jacked up to such ridiculous proportions, that it basically made attending any games near New York (at the Meadowlands) out of reach.
That was too bad, because those games were generally the closest to me. Which means that, for the most part, they should be the most convenient to obtain tickets for, as well as to get to.
Yet New Jersey became infamous during this World Cup. First of all, ticket prices were ridiculously high, especially at this venue. Secondly, and not entirely unrelated, the other costs aside from just the tickets were also ridiculous. I saw at one point that parking was something like $250 or so. They were pushing for public transportation. But then they hiked up the prices for public transportation, just for these games. Going a few miles from either New York City or Secaucus was something like $100, round trip, which is many times more than what it usually would be.
Ridiculous.
As it turns out, I did attend a game. But it was in Philadelphia. The tickets generally were cheaper, and parking and public transportation prices were nowhere near as outrageous.
Why such a difference between the two cities? After all, they are maybe about two hours apart from one another. Why was one so much cheaper than the other?
Well, there are reasons for it. Philadelphia had better infrastructure ready for their major stadium, which is right inside of Philly's sports complex (which includes the football stadium, as well as a baseball stadium and an arena for basketball and hockey). There are numerous public transportation options, including having it's own subway station and bus options. So you can park the car somewhere in downtown and head on over to the stadium/sports complex.
Meanwhile, in East Rutherford, where the New York/New Jersey games will be played, there are not nearly so many options. And with FIFA ruthlessly spiking up the prices of tickets (and everything else) to cash in, NJ Transit figured they would cash in, as well. Pretty clear cut case of price gouging all the way around.
Disgusting.
Here's a snippet from a recent article (see link below) where the ease and convenience (and price) of getting to World Cup games in Philly is compared to New Jersey:
Two weeks into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the transportation story is no longer about whether fans can get to games. For the most part, they can. The more important question is who is paying the price for moving them. A comparison between Philadelphia and the New York/New Jersey host region reveals two dramatically different approaches to managing World Cup transportation. Philadelphia largely used sponsorships, federal funding, and existing transit operations to absorb costs. New Jersey, by contrast, has pushed a larger share of the burden onto riders, commuters, and local residents. The result is that Philadelphia’s transportation plan has largely been viewed as a public benefit while New Jersey’s has increasingly become a source of public frustration.
Philadelphia focused on convenience all around. Trying to make it the least inconvenient possible for regular commuters, and convenient as possible for those going to the games, including prices. But East Rutherford was an entirely separate thing. Again, from the same article:
New Jersey’s message was very different. Officials encouraged fans to use mass transit rather than drive, but the transportation system simultaneously imposed some of the highest event-related transit costs seen anywhere in the tournament. NJ Transit round-trip rail fares approaching $100 became one of the most discussed aspects of the region’s transportation plan.
Discussed is putting it mildly. It became heated, and just added to the feeling that this whole World Cup tournament was about squeezing as much money from people as possible. And doing it in plain sight, perhaps to send a message for all other major events to come in the future.
Glad that I went with Philly and not New Jersey, in this case.
World Cup – Jersey vs. Philly: A tale of two transportation strategies Transportation Public Transit Staff Author: Staff June 24, 2026
https://tristateinfrastructurenews.com/world-cup-jersey-vs-philly-a-tale-of-two-transportation-strategies/?utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_id=120241026307970415&utm_content=120251509620400415&utm_term=120250873025530415&utm_campaign=120241026307970415&fbclid=IwY2xjawS6rx9leHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqzgcY8iYP3NydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4Y1qj40Mt8bhguImwfNTo-iwfu6psPvHPX7dxTadSdqCksbLjO_NzMSkBdKQ_aem_0GnS-ZV4cX3oG2fv4-pFyw
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