FIFA ‘surprised’ by US backlash as transport costs skyrocket at World Cup

Both a top US lawmaker and the governor of New Jersey ask FIFA to pay World Cup transport bill amid ticket hikes.With public transport costs for getting to ‌and from World Cup games repeatedly reaching or exceeding $100 each way, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill ⁠is the latest United States official to speak out about the cost to the public of the 2026 tournament while asking FIFA to help ⁠subsidise the expense.Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Democrat in the US Senate, had already called on FIFA, football’s global governing body, to pay for World Cup public transportation costs on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4England cricket captain Stokes ‘lucky’ to be alive after facial injurylist 2 of 4‘BCCI a sporting adjunct of BJP’: Wisden slams India’s control of cricketlist 3 of 4Ice hockey coach admits to faking COVID certificate to enter China Olympicslist 4 of 4Jailed Senegal fans deny wrongdoing in AFCON final chaos in Moroccoend of listThis came after a report that local authorities in New Jersey are planning significant price hikes during the tournament.According to the US-based website The Athletic, train tickets from New York’s Penn Station to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will top $100 for World Cup games. The standard fare for that ⁠route is $12.90.“I won’t stick N.J. commuters with that tab for years to come, that’s not fair,” Sherrill posted on X on Thursday. “FIFA should pay for the rides, but if they don’t, I’m not going to let N.J. ⁠commuters be taken for one.”The official train ticket cost has yet to be announced, but The Athletic reported that Sherrill, the local World Cup host committee and NJ Transit all declined to deny that it would be above $100.Sherrill tweeted: “We have inherited an agreement in which FIFA doesn’t contribute a single dollar toward transportation for the World Cup. ‌And while NJ Transit is left with a $48m bill to safely transport 40,000 fans from the stadium to wherever they’re headed, FIFA is generating $11b from this World Cup.