NJ Transit has confirmed a $150 round-trip train fare for 15-minute journey from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium, a nearly twelvefold increase over regular pricing, has been raised by the governing body of FIFA (FIFA), which provided no funding for transportation. This has led to a public disagreement over who will fund the regional transportation bill for the 2026 World Cup, with New Jersey officials stating that the state is facing a $48 million deficit. FIFA responded by citing a 2018 agreement that mandated free fan transit and stating that no other major stadium event subsidizes mobility. The aggressive pricing strategy from NJ Transit caught organizers off guard and led to criticism from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who questioned the cost of the short journey. The move has been defended by local officials, arguing that the agency is simply trying to recoup pure operational costs rather than price-gouging global fanbase.