Boston officials face backlash after announcing $80 train tickets for World Cup matches that usually cost $8.75 | OneFootball

Soccer fans are furious after transportation officials in Massachusetts announced that train tickets to the 2026 World Cup matches that usually cost less than $10 each way will set them back $80.

The cost of round-trip tickets for the roughly 25-mile journey from South Station in Boston to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough for the summer tournament marks a sharp increase from the $20 fare to Patriots games and concerts, and the typical $8.75 commuter rail fares.

Gillette Stadium will host seven matches during the World Cup, including matches that feature England’s national team.

The Free Lions, the Football Supporters’ Association’s Fans’ Embassy service for traveling England fans, condemned the cost on social media.

“At what is normally a $20 return, we are incredibly disappointed that this has been allowed to happen,” the group said. “For a stadium so far away from its advertised location, all organisers had a duty to ensure supporters could get there sustainably and for a fair price. Unfortunately, like much with this tournament, supporters are gouged.”

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Train tickets to the World Cup matches held at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts this summer will cost visitors $80, a steep increase from the typical commuter train ticket, which costs less than $10 (Getty)

Paul Goodwin, the co-founder of the Scottish Football Supporters Association, warned there would be “a lot of second mortgages and costs being put on credit cards” given the exorbitant cost to attend the matches.

“It’s another huge disappointment,” said Goodwin. “It’s a kick in the goolies to ordinary fans and another reminder that the further up the tree that you go, the game is getting further and further away from its origins. Our stance on it is it’s totally out of order.”

The expensive fare comes as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority looks to recover $35 million in costs for upgrades to Foxboro Station ahead of the World Cup, the Boston Globe reported.

The MBTA is expecting up to 20,000 passengers to take the commuter rail each match.

“Taking the commuter rail will be one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get to and from the stadium,” MBTA general manager Phil Eng said in a statement.

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Gillette Stadium, which will be called Boston Stadium during the World Cup, will host seven matches (Gillette Stadium)

The $80 tickets will be sold exclusively through the MBTA’s mTicket app. The first batch of tickets will go on sale on Wednesday. However, tickets will be limited and are nonrefundable, the MBTA said.

Riders taking the commuter rail must also have a same-day match ticket. The train ticket must also be purchased with the same email address used to buy their match ticket.

The tickets are also good for unlimited travel across the entire commuter rail network on match days.

As Massachusetts transportation officials anticipate high volumes of traffic to Gillette Stadium, which will be known as Boston Stadium during the World Cup, officials are urging the public to take the train instead of driving to the event.

Parking will be limited at the stadium, with spots starting at $175, according to the Boston Herald.

Boston isn’t the only city making changes in anticipation of the influx of fans coming in just for the World Cup.

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New York City’s Penn Station will also see changes made ahead of the World Cup, which will host eight matches at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (Getty Images)

Parts of New York City’s Penn Station will reportedly be closed to everyone except World Cup ticket-holders for four hours before the start of matches held in New Jersey this summer.

The changes will occur for eight matches scheduled in June and July at MetLife Stadium, including the tournament final, according to documents seen by NorthJersey.com.

The transportation plans, which have not yet been officially released, were confirmed to the outlet by a NJ Transit official speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Under the proposed restrictions, ticket-holders would have their credentials checked at specific Seventh Avenue entrances on 33rd Street and 32nd Street.

Passengers traveling on Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road would be directed to different entrances, and NJ Transit commuters would be barred New Jersey-bound trains during the four-hour window before the game begins.

The 2026 World Cup will be played across Mexico, Canada and the U.S., beginning June 11 and ending July 19.