World Cup fans stranded for hours after travel snarls at MetLife Stadium

Postgame gridlock

Fans leaving the Brazil-Morocco World Cup match at MetLife Stadium faced hours of travel delays after the final whistle, according to multiple reports from June 14 and June 15.

The worst problems appeared to hit drivers and rideshare users, who were trapped in heavy congestion around the stadium and the nearby American Dream complex. One report said some fans were unable to leave until after midnight.

Shuttle buses reportedly moved more quickly. One account said the shuttle system cleared passengers within about three hours after the 8:30 p.m. match.

Costly transit options

Rail service was available, but reports said it was underused because the round-trip fare was $98. That price became part of the backlash around how fans got to and from the venue.

A separate pregame report had already flagged weak transportation planning before kickoff, saying only 23,600 transportation tickets had been sold, including 12,900 bus tickets and 10,800 train tickets. Fewer than 3,500 parking spots had been purchased by the Friday before the match.

Another report said parking fees in the venue area were as high as $225, reinforcing the sense that every option was expensive or difficult.

What happened around the stadium

The exit pattern after the match was uneven. Fans who drove or booked rideshares faced the longest waits, while shuttle riders appeared to clear out faster and rail demand remained lower than organizers may have expected.

One report also said a shuttle bus caught fire amid Knicks championship celebrations the same night, adding another complication to an already chaotic evening. The available reports do not say the fire caused injuries.

Venue pressure and unanswered questions

MetLife Stadium is using FIFA's temporary name, New York New Jersey Stadium, for the tournament, and it is scheduled to host multiple matches, including the final. That makes the first major transit breakdown there especially significant for later games.

NJ Transit, FIFA, Gov. Mikie Sherrill and venue operators had already drawn scrutiny before the match over how fans would move around the site, but the reviewed reports did not identify a direct public response from those groups.

There are still open questions about the exact number of stranded fans, how long the worst delays lasted, and whether the shuttle fire caused any additional disruption.

What organizers may face next

The immediate test is whether organizers change fares, routes, shuttle capacity or parking policy before the next MetLife World Cup match.

The travel problems are likely to shape public confidence in the stadium's transit plan for the rest of the tournament, especially with more high-profile games still ahead at the venue.