The German Football Association (DFB) has announced that national team players will cover the travel expenses for 600 of their fans to attend Germany’s final World Cup group stage match, following widespread criticism over inflated transport costs at the tournament.
Train tickets from central New York to the nearby MetLife Stadium in New Jersey—where Germany will face Ecuador in their final Group E match on June 25—normally cost $12.90. However, prices surged to $150 for the World Cup before being reduced to $98.
Similarly, shuttle bus fares dropped to $20 after initially being priced at $80 for the same journey. The Governor of New Jersey stated that these inflated prices are due to FIFA’s refusal to subsidize tournament transport expenditures.
“In light of the high cost of bus and train travel in New York during the World Cup, the German national team players have organized free transport to the final group match for 600 fans,” the German FA said in an official statement.
“Captain Joshua Kimmich and his teammates are covering the cost of buses to take supporters from New York to the arena in New Jersey for the match against Ecuador,” the statement added.
It is worth noting that previous World Cup tournaments in Russia and Qatar provided free public transport for fans to access stadiums and official fan zones.
