World Cup 2026 by Train

Read This First — Matchday Is Not Normal

If you've taken the train to a Jets or Giants game, forget what you know. FIFA World Cup matchdays at MetLife run under a special NJ Transit plan with hard restrictions:

NY Penn Station → MetLife, Step by Step

1. 1

   Buy your $150 matchday transit ticket in advance

   Via the NJ Transit app as soon as you know your match. Your mobile ticket includes a designated boarding window at Penn Station.

2. 2

   Go to the underground NJ Transit concourse (7th Ave side)

   NJ Transit boards from the underground Penn Station concourse — not Moynihan Train Hall. Enter at 7th Avenue & 32nd Street. Expect security and ticket checks before boarding on matchdays, so arrive at the start of your boarding window.

3. 3

   Ride to Secaucus Junction (~10 min)

   Matchday trains to Secaucus are ticket-holder-only starting 4 hours before kickoff.

4. 4

   Transfer at Secaucus to the stadium shuttle

   Follow the crowds and signage to the matchday-only train or bus direct to the stadium complex. Total Penn-to-stadium time is roughly 30–45 minutes in normal flow — budget more for the Final.

5. 5

   After the match: reverse it, but expect waits

   80,000+ people leave at once. The shuttle-to-Secaucus-to-Penn flow works, but lines after the whistle can take an hour+. Don't book anything tight that evening.

First time at Penn Station? Use our Which Entrance? wizard and the full navigation guide so the station doesn't eat your buffer time.

MetLife Stadium Matches (New York New Jersey Stadium)

Knockout-round teams determined by group results. Verify kickoff times on the official NYNJ host committee schedule.

Not Going to the Match? How Commuters Are Affected

On matchdays, beginning 4 hours before kickoff, there is no outbound NJ Transit rail service from NY Penn Station for regular commuters — the Penn–Secaucus segment is reserved for World Cup ticket holders. Your alternatives, honored at no extra cost with a valid NJ Transit rail ticket or pass to/from New York:

• ▶PATH from 33rd Street Station(6th Ave & 33rd St, 2 blocks east of Penn) to Hoboken, Journal Square, or Newark — then connect to your NJ Transit line.
• ▶NJ Transit buses from Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd St & 8th Ave — take the A/C/E one stop, or a 12–15 minute walk up 8th Avenue).
• ▶Travel before the cutoff — outbound trains run normally until 4 hours before kickoff. On 3 PM Final day, that means leave before ~11 AM.

Check our NYC schedule guide for DepartureVision and real-time alerts before heading to the station on match days.

Philadelphia: 30th Street Station → Lincoln Financial Field

Philadelphia hosts 6 matches — and the transit story is far simpler (and cheaper) than New York's. From 30th Street Station, ride SEPTA to City Hall and take the B (Broad Street) Line southbound to NRG Station — the last stop, right at the stadium complex.

Verify on SEPTA's official World Cup page and phillyfwc26.com.

Traveling between the two host cities? Amtrak runs hourly between NY Penn and 30th Street (~1h 15m) — see our Philadelphia ↔ NYC train guide.

Matchday Tips

• 1.Stadium bag policy is strict — clear bags only, roughly 12"×6"×12" max. There is NO bag storage at MetLife. If you're carrying luggage (e.g., flying out after the match), store it near Penn Station before you board.
• 2.Arrive at Penn Station at the START of your designated boarding window — matchday security and ticket checks add time, and missing your window risks missing your train slot.
• 3.Download your NJ Transit mobile ticket AND your FIFA match ticket before descending into Penn Station — cell signal underground is weak.
• 4.Coming from abroad? Set up a US eSIM before you land so rideshare, tickets, and maps work the moment you arrive.
• 5.Don't drive. Matchday parking at MetLife requires advance permits and the road approach is heavily restricted — rail is the intended route for nearly everyone.
• 6.For the July 19 Final, treat every time estimate as optimistic. Trains, security, food lines — everything will run slower with a global-event crowd.
• 7.Watch for MSG events colliding with match nights — if there's also a concert at the Garden, avoid the 7th Avenue entrance entirely and enter via 31st Street.