Fans heading to the World Cup in the U.S. are facing a new source of sticker shock: mass transit. In New Jersey and Massachusetts, some train fares tied to matches will cost fans far more than normal NFL gameday trips.
Since then, World Cup host countries have invested heavily in getting fans to and from matches, especially in Russia in 2018, where even long-distance trains between host cities were free, and Qatar in 2022, where free metro access helped turn stadium-hopping into part of the tournament experience.
The World Cup Is Great For FIFA—And A Bad Bet For Cities
The best available estimate suggested a $14 million shortfall on a $22 million public investment. That’s not a rounding error, but a warning for all cities looking to host a large-scale sporting event.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/clementelisi/2026/05/04/the-world-cups-hidden-cost-why-host-cities-pay-more-than-they-gain/
“that’s not a rounding error, but…”
Someone used an LLM to approve their words. Fucking brain-dead sheep. I hate this new Internet.