Travel chaos at MetLife: Soccer fans blame mismanagement for World Cup mishap

 One of the things that World Cup hosting nations are bound to see is chaos in public transportation. Now the degree may vary, but what happened at the MetLife Stadium on June 13, 2026, is every sports fan’s nightmare.

Over three hours after Morocco’s and Brazil’s FIFA World Cup match concluded in a 1-1 stalemate at MetLife Stadium on June 13, 2026, hundreds of disgruntled soccer fans were stuck in a travel nightmare just outside the site in East Rutherford. Close to midnight, gridlock choked the streets and highways surrounding the stadium. Meanwhile, fans waited in long lines at the Meadowlands racetrack’s designated ridesharing area. Some had to stand in a queue for over an hour after scouring the stadium grounds looking for an exit.

“I live in America, and I’ve been to big events, but I have never seen this before. It’s hard to believe we’re in America right now,” said a Brazil fan who was staying in Elizabeth. “On a scale of 1 to 10, my frustration is a 10. This is awful,” said another fan stuck in line late Saturday night.

According to insiders, too many people tried to drive and park at the nearby American Dream amusement park, which was temporarily dubbed the New York New Jersey Stadium for soccer games. Fans who used ridesharing were unable to leave the venue until after midnight, resulting in tense scenes for hours.

Many of the trains apparently arrived at the stadium well below capacity. That means fans chose to drive despite parking near the stadium costing up to $225. However, there was still some good news for those who took the bus. NJ Transit got all the bus passengers off the venue within three hours after the game ended around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

In other news, one of the buses used for shuttle trips between the stadium and New York City was set on fire during wild celebrations following the New York Knicks’ historic NBA Championship win the very same night. Still, it could have been worse.

On Saturday, the problems began well after the match had ended. At 10:15 p.m., stadium workers informed fans who started walking toward the rideshare pickup area that no more Lyfts or Ubers would be allowed. According to fans, they were told, “If you don’t have a reservation with the Uber shuttle, you will NOT get out from [sic] here.” Even media shuttles from the stadium were disrupted, stranding journalists for hours.

“Petty” Sherrill: The Political Blame Game Amid World Cup Travel Chaos

A transport planning insider told the New York Post that “petty” New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was to blame for the chaotic scenes at MetLife Stadium on Saturday as she refused to lower the $98 train ticket price.

“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 source told the Post. The governor urged fans to use the train to the games, but her office refused to comment following the pandemonium.

Back in April 2026, Sherrill publicly accused FIFA, claiming NJ Transit inherited a deal in which the franchise paid $0 for the $48 million in additional expenditures. The governor also persuaded FIFA to change the stadium sign from “New York New Jersey” to “New Jersey New York Stadium.”