Germany players fund World Cup travel for fans amid inflated costs
Germany’s players have stepped in to pay for 600 supporters to travel by bus to their final World Cup group game against Ecuador in New Jersey following severe criticism of inflated tournament transport costs.
The squad’s generous intervention comes after matchday train tickets from central New York to the nearby MetLife Stadium were drastically increased.
Fares for the crucial 25 June Group E decider were initially ramped up from their standard $12.90 (£9.50) to a staggering $150, before eventually being reduced to $98.
Fifa subsidies spark political row
Shuttle bus prices to the arena have also faced extreme fluctuations, dropping from an initial $80 down to $20 for the short cross-state journey.
The governor of New Jersey claims these inflated matchday prices are a direct result of world football’s governing body refusing to subsidise local transport expenditure.
“In light of the high cost of bus and train travel in New York during the World Cup, the German national team players have organised free transport to the final group match for 600 fans,” said the German FA.
Kimmich leads player intervention
The initiative is being driven by the national team’s senior leadership group ahead of their highly anticipated clash with the South American outfit.
“Captain Joshua Kimmich and his team-mates are covering the cost of buses to take supporters from New York to the arena in New Jersey for the match against Ecuador.”
During previous global tournaments in Russia and Qatar, attendees were provided with complimentary travel to stadiums and official fan zones.
United States organisers had originally committed to offering the exact same perk within their initial 2018 host agreement.
However, a 2023 amendment to that contract ultimately ruled that travelling supporters would instead be charged at cost value.