The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) plans to nearly quadruple the usual prices for round-trip train tickets from central Boston to Gillette Stadium during the 2026 World Cup.
According to the MBTA website, the authority typically charges $20 for round-trip tickets from the train station in central Boston for special events such as NFL’s New England Patriots games, MLS’ New England Revolution and concerts.
But soccer fans attending Thursday’s exhibition game between France and Brazil at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro saw prices rise 50 percent, up to $30 per person, without any concessions. Purchase rules state that children under 11 years of age must have a valid ticket.
But the price being charged on Thursday is also expected to more than double during this summer’s World Cup, nearly quadrupling the usual price asked for NFL and MLS fans. Individuals will be charged about $75 or more per person for a round-trip ticket to travel the 27 miles from Boston South Station to the stadium, according to a source familiar with the plans who requested anonymity to protect their relationship.
The MBTA is expected to announce its fare program by April 8.
Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots and MLS team the New England Revolution, is owned by the Kraft Group, led by billionaire Robert Kraft. The 65,000-seat stadium will host seven games, including the round of 32 and quarterfinals, during the World Cup.
Group stage matches include matches between Scotland and Haiti and Morocco, between England and Ghana, and between Norway and France.
From the statement athletic The MBTA said Thursday afternoon, “The MBTA has embarked on a $35 million project ahead of this World Cup, including upgrading the Foxboro station and providing full accessibility. The MBTA plans to operate service at unprecedented scale for the World Cup, mobilizing up to 20,000 riders for each game, and is excited to serve the global community of soccer fans who visit Massachusetts.”
Sources close to the MBTA, who remained anonymous because they were not authorized to speak publicly about specific prices, said the upgrade service has cost the authority a lot of money, so it’s reasonable to expect those costs to increase ticket prices.
However, for soccer fans attending the World Cup, this is another cost for supporters and adds to the expensive World Cup tickets and hotel costs this summer.
Fans urge ‘fair trade’
During the Qatar Men’s World Cup 2022, official ticket holders had free access to Doha’s metro system throughout the tournament. Similarly, at the 2024 European Championships in Germany, match ticket holders were able to use free public transport in the host city on match days.
While cities and states are trying to recoup huge investments in the World Cup through the tournament’s proposed economic impact, Qatar’s central government has poured huge sums into the competition as part of a broader nation-building project.
From the statement athletic On Thursday night, the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), the representative body for supporters in England and Wales, called on Boston to “reexamine” its planned prices and offer fans a “fair deal”.
An FSA spokesperson said: “On top of exorbitant parking and high taxi fares, it is sadly unsurprising that costs that should be free to encourage the use of public transport have been set at ridiculously high levels for the most expensive World Cup to date.”
“This is another example of the exploitation of loyal fans who pay hard to directly support their national team. They have already paid some money to attend so they can find more money for those who want to attend the match.
“It is worth remembering that supporters have benefited from being able to travel for free to Russia and Qatar. While this is not expected in all World Cup host cities, we had hoped that the organizers would be able to arrange a fair deal for fans wishing to follow the team.
“Obviously this needs to be reviewed and fans need to get a fair deal and feel welcomed by the host city.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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