The Football Supporters Association has called it "a ludicrously high level" of pricing — and it's hard to argue. Fans travelling by train from central Boston to Gillette Stadium for World Cup matches this summer are facing round-trip fares of around $75 per person, nearly four times what NFL and MLS supporters pay for the exact same journey.
Twenty-seven miles. Seventy-five dollars. No concessions for children under 11 unless they hold a valid ticket.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority normally charges $20 return for special events like New England Patriots games. For last week's France vs Brazil exhibition at Gillette, it bumped that to $30 — a 50% hike that felt steep at the time. According to sources familiar with the planning, the World Cup fare will more than double even that figure. The MBTA is expected to confirm its official pricing by April 8.
The costs keep stacking up
England play Ghana at Gillette on June 23. Scotland have two group stage fixtures there — against Haiti and Morocco. For supporters who've already spent a small fortune on match tickets and accommodation at what is shaping up to be the most expensive World Cup in history, another $75 per head on train travel is a real gut punch.
The MBTA's defence is that it's spending $35 million upgrading Foxboro Station ahead of the tournament — making it fully accessible and capable of moving up to 20,000 riders per match. Sources close to the authority say the scale of that investment makes fare increases reasonable. Whether fans stuck at the end of a 27-mile line agree is another matter.
The comparison to Qatar 2022 and Euro 2024 is damaging. Both tournaments offered match ticket holders free public transport on game days. That was never realistically on the table in the United States, where host cities and states are looking to recoup their own considerable investments through the tournament's economic footprint. But free travel and $75 travel are very different things, and supporters know it.
Gillette's World Cup schedule
The stadium — owned by Robert Kraft's Kraft Group and home to both the Patriots and New England Revolution — is hosting seven World Cup matches in total, including a round-of-32 game and a quarter-final. The group stage fixtures at the venue are:
- England vs Ghana (June 23)
- Scotland vs Haiti
- Scotland vs Morocco
- Norway vs France
The FSA's statement doesn't mince words: "This is yet another example of the exploitation of loyal fans who work hard to pay to support their national teams in person." They're calling on Boston to revisit the pricing before it's locked in. Whether that pressure lands before the April 8 announcement is the only question left worth asking.
