Germany’s class act: Players fund trip for 600 fans amid transport price hike
The German players stood up for their fans and decided to pay for 600 fans to travel by bus to their final group game against Ecuador in New Jersey. Joshua Kimmich et al. according to media reports, they made the call to intervene due to the high cost of transportation at the tournament.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE
According to BBC Sport, a train fare from central New York to New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, the venue for Germany’s final Group E match against Ecuador on June 25, usually costs around $12.90 (£9.50). However, prices were raised to $150 for the tournament before being revised to $98.
Meanwhile, shuttle bus tickets for the same route, originally set at $80, have since been reduced to $20. The governor of New Jersey attributed the increased travel costs to FIFA’s decision not to contribute to travel subsidies for fans.
The German FA said the travel costs of 600 fans from New York to New Jersey would be covered by the players.
“In light of the high cost of bus and train travel in New York during the World Cup, the German national team has organized transport to the final group match for 600 fans free of charge,” the German FA said.
“Captain Joshua Kimmich and his teammates are paying for the buses that will take the fans from New York to the arena in New Jersey for the match against Ecuador.”
At previous FIFA World Cups in Russia and Qatar, fans were able to use free public transport to travel to match venues and fan zones. The United States initially pledged to provide a similar benefit as part of its hosting commitments.
However, following a review of the agreement in 2023, the organizers decided to abandon the free travel clause, meaning fans would instead have to cover their own transport costs.
Germany kick off their World Cup campaign against Curacao on Sunday, June 14.
Football World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | football news
– The end
Published on:
11 Jun 2026 21:14 IST