Fans heading to the 2026 World Cup are being asked to pay far more than they normally would just to get to a match. New Jersey Transit is charging $100 for a return ticket during the tournament, up from the usual $12.90, a jump that captures how expensive this World Cup is becoming before a ball has even been kicked.
That price matters because the tournament is being staged across the US, Canada and Mexico, with the opening ceremony at the Estadio Azteca and the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. A quarter of the games are in Canada and Mexico, which means many supporters will already be dealing with cross-border travel and added logistics before they even reach the stadium.
The most expensive part may not be the ticket itself but the way the tournament is being stitched together. The main host is at war with a participant whose team must commute in on match days from another country, while the US, Canada and Mexico are also in an epic trade war and due to renegotiate USMCA during the tournament. World Cups are rarely completely politics-free, but this one is navigating an unusually severe geopolitical and economic high-wire act.
Donald Trump has tried to turn that awkward backdrop into a joke, saying his loss to Joe Biden in 2020 had the upside of giving him a return to the White House in time for this World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Gianni Infantino has previously called for ceasefires during World Cups, a reminder that FIFA often tries to wrap global politics around the tournament even when the schedule itself is already doing the damage to fans.
The unanswered question is how much control FIFA and local organizers will actually have over the costs fans face as 2026 gets closer. For now, the number that tells the story is the one attached to the train: $100 to do what usually costs $12.90.
