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Here's how to get to the World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Jun 8, 2026
Modified Jun 12, 2026
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Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Jun 8, 2026
Modified Jun 12, 2026
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The World Cup is set to begin later this week, drawing millions of tourists to watch the single biggest global sporting event.
MetLife Stadium in New Jersey's Meadowlands — temporarily called the New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament — will host eight different matches in the tournament, including the final. But to get there, tourists will have to figure out the myriad ways they can use public or private transportation leaving from New York City.
World Cup ticketholders will have to choose from a limited number of NJ Transit seats direct to the stadium, shuttle buses, or opt for a private Uber, Lyft or taxi. Special transportation options to the games will be available for "VIPs," FIFA and the Host Committee of New York and New Jersey said. FIFA didn’t comment on how exactly VIPs will be transported.
NJ Transit trains
How NJ Transit handles its train service to the games has become a controversial and political fight between the Garden State, New York and FIFA overlords.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill said FIFA left New Jersey with a $48 million tab to cover the increased service on the railroad and added security required by the soccer association. As a result, ticket prices were first set to $150, but NJ Transit was able to reduce the round-trip fare to $98 after public outcry and support from private donors.
NJ Transit will cap the number of tickets for each match to 40,000 seats, roughly half of the stadium's total capacity. They can only be purchased by World Cup ticketholders and will only depart from Penn Station to MetLife and back.
To buy a ticket, download the NJ Transit app and search for the World Cup tickets under a “special events” tab.
According to NJ Transit, ticketholders must have a train ticket on the app ahead of the game.
When travelers get to Penn Station, the city will have them line up outside the train hall in designated street spaces that will be closed off to traffic. There will be one entrance at West 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues and another at West 33rd Street between Sixth and Eighth avenues.
Travelers will have to present both their World Cup and transit tickets to receive a mandatory “Matchday Wristband” to travel to the game.
Shuttle buses
The host committee, a coalition of government and private sector officials, will also offer a shuttle bus service to pick up and drop off World Cup watchers from four different locations to MetLife. Through New York state support and sponsors, the host committee reduced the round-trip ticket price from $80 to $20.
You can purchase shuttle bus tickets on this website.
When purchasing tickets, you can select where you’d like to depart from to the games. Round trip service is available from these transit hubs:
- The Port Authority Midtown Bus Terminal
- A bus stop in Midtown East, near Grand Central Station
- A bus stop in Midtown North, near Columbus Circle
- The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Park-N-Ride in Clifton, New Jersey
On match days, the city will convert 42nd Street into a bus-only corridor to move shuttle buses to MetLife more quickly. The city will also add two bus-only lanes on Fifth and Sixth avenues between 42nd to 59th streets to improve traffic in Midtown.
Taxi, Uber and Lyft drop-off
FIFA and the host committee will have no control over Uber and Lyft prices. The apps are known for jacking up rates during major events, calling it “surge pricing,” because people are more likely to pay out of desperation. FIFA said to expect “premium pricing” before and after the matches.
If you take a ride on the apps, a yellow cab from New York or a Jersey cab, a designated pick-up and drop-off zone will be located off-property from the stadium at the Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment venue nearby.
From there, it’s a short walk to MetLife Stadium's gates.
Private car parking
If you want to drive to MetLife Stadium yourself to watch a World Cup match, parking will only be available at the nearby American Dream Mall.
Just like buying a train or shuttle bus ticket, travelers will be required to purchase a parking pass ahead of a matchday. Parking rates range from $225 to $300 per space at the mall per match. FIFA officials said drivers should plan to arrive early.
There won’t be any parking at the stadium itself. Due to FIFA's heightened security requirements, the parking area directly outside the stadium will be closed off.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated which organization is providing shuttle bus service to the World Cup games at MetLife Stadium. The buses will be offered by the host committee.
Tagged
World Cup 2026
metlife stadium
new jersey
Ramsey Khalifeh
Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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