MetLife World Cup travel chaos left thousands of football fans facing long delays over the weekend, with transport problems keeping many people stuck for hours while some trains reportedly left with large numbers of seats unused.

MetLife World Cup travel chaos strands fans
Photo: NJ.com

MetLife World Cup travel chaos after Brazil vs Morocco

The stadium, temporarily operating as New York New Jersey Stadium⁠ for the tournament, came under heavy pressure as visitors tried to reach and leave the area by car, ride share and public transport. Insiders said many fans attempted to drive and park near the American Dream theme park close to the venue.

Ride-share passengers were among those affected, with some visitors unable to leave the property until after midnight. The delays created hours of frustration after the Brazil vs. Morocco game on Saturday.

Buses cleared fans faster than other transport

Bus operations produced a better result. The NY-NJ Host Committee got all bus passengers off the site within three hours after the match ended at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Another disruption involved one bus used for shuttle services between New York City and the stadium, which was set on fire during celebrations following the New York Knicks’ historic NBA Championship win over the San Antonio Spurs.

$98 train ticket draws criticism

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill faced criticism over the disruption, including from a transportation planning source who argued that the $98 round-trip train fare discouraged fans from using rail services.

The transportation planning source said:

“Maybe instead of being petty and demanding the FIFA Host Committee pay to switch out all the [stadium’s] signs so it says New Jersey before New York, Sherrill should have made them bring down the cost of the crazy $98 train ticket that left thousands stranded after the game while they ran train cars that were half-empty!”

The governor had encouraged visitors to use trains for the matches. At the same time, with round-trip rail tickets priced at $98, many fans appeared to seek other ways to travel to MetLife Stadium.

Reports said several trains reached the venue well below capacity. Parking near the stadium cost as much as $225, but that did not prevent many visitors from choosing to drive.