Train fares to MetLife Stadium have jumped from $13 to $105 for World Cup 2026 matches, prompting desperate fans to consider an unconventional alternative: walking from New York City.
To test whether that option was even remotely viable, a reporter set out on foot to cover the roughly 4.5-hour trek across the Hudson River and into New Jersey. What emerged was a sobering reality about American pedestrian infrastructure.
The route proved both challenging and sporadic in its appeal. While portions of the journey offered scenic views, the bigger problem awaited near the destination. Blocked pedestrian routes surrounding MetLife Stadium would effectively cut off foot traffic from reaching the venue, even for the most determined international visitors accustomed to European walking infrastructure.
The experiment underscores a hard truth for soccer fans priced out by transport costs: the physical geography and infrastructure between Manhattan and the stadium simply aren't designed to accommodate pedestrians, let alone thousands of them.
Author James Rodriguez: "The real story here isn't that people can't walk to a stadium, it's that American sports venues are still built like they assume everyone owns a car."
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