The budget of fans who will travel to the United States for the football World Cup continues to rise. The exorbitant prices for metro tickets to reach some stadiums cause indignation among tourists and residents, who have already had to pay excessive amounts to buy tickets for the games.
In Boston, the cost of public transportation was multiplied by almost ten. The local transport authority announced that a round trip between the train station and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, located about 50 kilometers from the metropolis, will cost US$80 (R$399.37). The normal price is US$8.75 (R$43.68).
The local organizing committee also reported that a round trip on the Express bus, reserved for ticket holders, will cost US$95 (R$474.25).
According to the magazine The Athleticthe New Jersey Transportation Authority plans to charge more than US$100 (R$499.22) for a round trip between Manhattan and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, which will host eight World Cup games, including the final on July 19, 2026. The usual fare for the trip is US$12.90 (R$64.39)
“It’s a scandal. In recent competitions, transport was included or offered at a low price for ticket holders,” he told AFP Guillaume Auprêtre, spokesman for Irrésistibles Français (IF), the main group of fans of the French team, which will have games in these stadiums.
“They are adding extra costs without thinking about the fans,” he said, accusing FIFA of excluding “the most loyal fans in favor of the richest.” The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) also denounced the measure as a “fraud”.
“We were told at the beginning that prices would remain the same, but this possible information [publicada no The Athletic] It’s no surprise. Every day a new fraud appears in this World Cup”, reacted Free Lions, the FSA’s travel agency.
FIFA’s silence
England (Group L) will also play a match in Boston and another in New Jersey. FIFA has not yet commented, despite facing harsh criticism due to high ticket prices for matches. Prices can reach several thousand dollars on the official sales platform.
Democratic senator Chuck Schumer, representing New York, stated that world football’s governing body “should earn almost US$11 billion (R$55 billion) this summer from the World Cup” and should “at the very least ensure that local residents can get to the stadium without being exploited at the turnstiles”. FIFA counts on this revenue for the 2023-2026 cycle, which includes the first World Cup with 48 teams, co-organized by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, denounced the “absurdly high” price, arguing that the event should be “as accessible and economical as possible.” In New Jersey, Democratic governor Mikie Sherrill warned that her state did not intend to pass on the cost of transporting fans to taxpayers.
Contacted by AFP, the New Jersey Transportation Authority did not respond after assuring the The Athletic that no final decision had been made on the matter.
Free metro in Qatar and Russia
According to the American vehicle, the cost of operating the public transport network for the eight matches at the stadium will reach around US$48 million (R$240 million), mainly due to security requirements.
The US Department of Transportation (FTA) allocated US$100 million (R$500 million) to the 11 World Cup host cities, based on stadium capacity and the number of matches played, to improve their transport networks and carry out infrastructure works. Massachusetts received US$8.7 million (R$43.4 million) and the New York/New Jersey region, US$10.4 million (R$52 million), according to local press.
In Los Angeles, the public transport authority, LA Metro, received US$9.6 million (R$48 million). In March, the company assured fans that the usual fares for SoFi Stadium ($3.50 or R$17.47 round trip) would not increase during the eight World Cup games.
In Russia, in 2018, public transport was free on game days for anyone who presented a ticket and fan card. In Qatar in 2022, the newly opened metro was also free for fans traveling to the stadium.
With AFP
