World Cup fans given cut-price access to school buses to get to games

by

Getting to the 2026 World Cup will be easier and more affordable than expected! Attendees can use school buses for transportation, and ticket prices have been reduced by 75%.

Getting ready for the North America tournament hasn’t been easy. There have been difficulties with complicated and expensive arrangements, plus a lot of complaints about how much the World Cup tickets cost. To make matters worse, reports say one of the stadiums is actually sinking.

Getting to games will soon be simpler and less expensive, as New York State is investing significantly to lower transportation costs for fans.

New York/New Jersey host committee slashes bus ticket prices for World Cup

Fans will now only pay $20 to ride the yellow school buses providing transportation during the tournament, a significant decrease from the initially announced price of $80, according to a report from The Athletic.

Originally, the tournament organizers said they would have 10,000 bus seats available for fans traveling to games in New York and New Jersey at MetLife Arena. They’ve now increased that number to 18,000.

The World Cup shuttle service will run for five games in total, culminating with the final match on July 18th.

The New York/New Jersey committee organizing the FIFA World Cup has significantly lowered the price of its shuttle buses to MetLife Stadium. Fans will now pay just $20 for a ride, down from $80. The committee originally promised 10,000 bus seats for fans attending the tournament.

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 13, 2026

I’m so excited about the upcoming event! It’s great to hear that New York State, with Governor Hochul leading the way, is putting $6 million towards making it easier for fans like me to get there. And even better, Governor Hochul announced that those of us who already bought tickets for $80 will get $60 back, so everyone pays the new, lower price. That’s a huge relief!

As a huge fan, I was reading up on the tournament details, and it sounds like they’re reserving at least 20% of the tickets for folks from New York state – which is awesome! Also, they’re planning a massive transportation effort with around 300 buses. Apparently, Highland Fleets even reached out directly to Mayor Mamdani to offer their help in making sure everything runs smoothly, which is really great to hear.

Alex Lasry, who leads the team organizing the World Cup in New York and New Jersey, said his main goal is to make the event affordable for everyone attending. He told The Athletic that ensuring an affordable experience is the committee’s biggest focus.

Some fans plan to walk to World Cup games

Even with lower bus fares, some fans may still choose to walk to MetLife Arena for games.

Some fans are planning to walk to the stadium from their hotels to save money on transportation.

Recently, Mark McPartland from The Guardian tried this himself. He found that a four-and-a-half-hour walk was very difficult, and ultimately, the path became completely impassable for pedestrians.

He walked across New Jersey and realized that sidewalks and walkways don’t actually connect to the earth – they’re elevated or built on structures.

Read More

2026-05-13 18:19