New Jersey
NJ, NY governors cut World Cup transit costs. Where is host committee?
New Jersey and New York’s respective governors made competing announcements on the evening of May 12 about how they went to great lengths to lower the prices of tickets to transport people to the 2026 World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium.
Conspicuously missing from these announcements was the New York-New Jersey host committee, a nonprofit with a wide-ranging role to hunt down practice fields for teams; coordinate multiple local, state and federal agencies; and execute FIFA’s vision for its tournament, the most popular sporting event in the world, which is taking place in 16 cities across Mexico, Canada and the United States this June and July.
Another key host committee task is raising money to support fan events at the stadium and watch parties around the region, and to help pay for logistical needs, such as security and FIFA-required modifications to the stadium and field.
It has also played a critical role in coordinating transportation plans, announcing its own shuttle bus network to the stadium that it will operate at a loss, according to Natalie Hamilton, a host committee spokeswoman. The committee announced last month it will provide NJ Transit with $3.6 million to help pay for discounts for commuters who will be inconvenienced by the matches, which are forcing trains to divert to other stations while Secaucus Junction and New York Penn Station partially close except to match-goers.
So it was striking when New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced that seven corporations had suddenly stepped up to donate money to bring down the cost of NJ Transit’s ticket to MetLife for match-goers to $98, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she would throw in $6 million in taxpayer money to bring down the ticket price of stadium-bound shuttle buses to $20.
Story continues below photo gallery.
Securing those donations and partnerships with corporate sponsors and finding ways to cut prices for fans is among the primary tasks of the host committee. So, what happened?
In a statement through a spokesperson, the host committee said it has been “working aggressively with public and private partners to make transportation more affordable for fans,” and that this is a “uniquely complex region, and a public-transportation-first event due to an expanded stadium activations and an enhanced security footprint.”
“The recent price reductions were not automatic — they were the result of coordination between the host committee, government and private-sector partners,” the statement said. “The host committee helped facilitate the partnership with Highland Bus and supported the effort to expand capacity and lower the price point.
“On the rail side, we have been supportive of NJ Transit as they pursue sponsor support to help offset costs, and we remain in close coordination,” the committee said.
NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri said the agency’s marketing team got very creative to raise advertising revenue through corporate sponsors in the last few weeks in order to reduce the ticket price without relying on taxpayer dollars to do so.
“That was an effort that took tens if not hundreds of hours of all our time while we’re trying to run a system everyday,” Kolluri said. “In the end, we met the governor’s objective — without FIFA’s help, without anybody’s help, we in New Jersey alone reduced the fare from $150 to $98.”
Finger-pointing and tough decisions late in the game
Fraying relationships among the region’s host partners — New Jersey, New York and the host committee — have been on display for months.
In February, with just five weeks under her belt as New Jersey’s governor, Sherrill made waves by suddenly scrapping the Liberty State Park fan festival, a logistically-challenged event being planned by the host committee.
Sherrill hasn’t said why that pivot was made, but multiple sources familiar with the planning told NorthJersey.com that shuttling tens of thousands of people to the waterfront park every day for the 39-day tournament was complicated because of limited mass transportation options.
Instead, Sherrill diverted $5 million in state money intended for Liberty State Park to a new program her administration created in a matter of weeks with Choose New Jersey to provide grants for 34 World Cup events around the state.
The host committee responded by joining forces with the previously announced “Red Bull New York Soccer Celebration” at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison and renaming its part of the festivities the “Jersey Fan Hub.”
But the state is having no part of it, and it even spelled out in the language of a recent $15 million grant provided to the host committee that if it is used for any event held at Sports Illustrated Stadium, the committee will have to forfeit the money.
Ticket prices for the Sports Illustrated event are $10, but the host committee’s fan events in all five New York City boroughs are free, thanks in large part to $20 million from New York State.
But things really escalated once the transportation tickets to MetLife Stadium were unveiled last month.
Eight matches, including the final, will be played at the East Rutherford stadium. Getting tens of thousands of fans there has proved to be an expensive, challenging endeavor since FIFA eliminated the ability to park at the stadium and forced the local governments and the host committee to come up with mass transit solutions and a ride-sharing location.
NJ Transit initially announced it would sell 40,000 train and bus tickets per match for $150 each, and the host committee would provide 10,000 chartered buses for $80 each.
Fans pounced on the expensive transit costs, and local public officials started pointing fingers — reactions that clearly inspired the Hudson River governors to find money to bring down those costs to $98 on the NJ Transit system and $20 on the bus shuttles.
They also increased the number of shuttle buses available by using Highland school buses, so 18,000 tickets will be available on non-school days and 12,000 on school days; Hochul demanded that about 20% of tickets have to be reserved for New York residents.
Did the deep bench pay off?
The New York-New Jersey host committee is stacked with people who have vast experience in fundraising, corporate partnerships and navigating the business world of professional sports — so why weren’t they able to solve this problem?
Alex Lasry and Tammy Murphy, wife of former New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, were named the host committee’s CEO and board chair, respectively, in February 2025 — and both have backgrounds in politics, fundraising, professional sports teams and public-private partnerships.
Tammy Murphy founded and owns the pro soccer team Gotham FC with her husband, has overseen multiple political fundraising organizations, and launched an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate in 2024, raising $3.2 million in her campaign’s first six weeks.
Lasry was previously an executive of the Milwaukee Bucks, the professional basketball team his family purchased in 2014. He also unsuccessfully ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin in 2022, and was named co-treasurer of the Democratic Governors Association in 2023.
The host committee wouldn’t provide information on how much money it has raised in the three years since its formation in 2023, but it said “fundraising remains ongoing” and there are seven “host city supporters” that have been announced in the last two years.
Daniel Lynch joined the committee to become its chief commercial officer, leaving a nearly 20-year career with the New York Giants, where he most recently served as vice president of corporate partnerships. The committee’s co-host city managers — who have worked on World Cup planning since before the host committee was formed — are Lauren LaRusso and Bruce Revman.
LaRusso was general counsel in Phil Murphy’s government authorities unit that works with such agencies as NJ Transit and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. Revman was a managing director of New York City Tourism & Conventions.
Traditionally, a host committee provides most of the guidance for the major organization it represents because its members understand the infrastructure of the location, especially such details as hotel access and traffic patterns, said Aaron Moore, a professor of public relations and event planning at Rider University in Lawrenceville.
When it comes to soliciting donations, there will always be a political element, and major corporations make such donations out of their marketing budgets, he said.
“Rather than buy television advertisements or digital advertisements, they’re going to be what is called ‘the proud sponsor’ of this event. So that means that company is going to get a lot of positive publicity having their names attached by being called a sponsor,” he said.
Tensions with host committees not unique
Nearly all the host committees around the country have struggled to raise money for the World Cup — and it’s not surprising given the restrictions imposed by FIFA, the Zurich-based soccer organization that runs the tournament and stands to receive at least $11 billion in profit from this year’s World Cup.
FIFA has a number of global sponsors from some of the world’s most profitable companies — such as Coca-Cola, Adidas, Qatar Airways and Visa — and prevents competing brands from appearing at its tournaments. Host committees must therefore spend money and go to great lengths to eliminate all other ad branding at host stadiums.
For example, any reference to “MetLife” will be scrubbed from the East Rutherford stadium, and it will be rebranded “New York New Jersey Stadium” for the duration of the tournament.
FIFA also wasn’t provided tickets or suites to matches to dangle in front of potential sponsor companies. Taken together, this severely limits their ability to attract local sponsors.
Most host cities are allowed to secure no more than 10 sponsorships. The New York-New Jersey host committee is allowed a maximum of 20, but few have reached 10.
How does money get prioritized?
Other U.S. host cities are feeling financial pressures similar to those of the New York-New Jersey region, with fan fests getting downsized and public confrontations sprouting over funding spats. Last year in California, FIFA threatened to deny public viewing licenses to the host committee after disagreements over money.
The question that arises is: How does the money raised by host committees get prioritized?
In Philadelphia, the host committee partnered with Airbnb to provide free rides home on the SEPTA Broad Street Line after all six matches in that city, a corporate sponsorship model the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles have used on various game days in past years. Match-goers will pay a one-way, standard subsidized fare of $2.90 to attend World Cup matches.
Meg Kane, CEO of Philadelphia’s host committee, told The Athletic that the committee focused on minimizing transportation costs from the beginning of the bid process to become a host city.
But it’s hard to compare Philadelphia’s experience to New Jersey’s:
- New Jersey is hosting eight matches, including the final, while Philadelphia is hosting six.
- Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field holds about 65,000 fans, while MetLife will seat about 78,000 for the World Cup.
- Philadelphia’s subway system is designed to transport around 15,000 people an hour, while NJ Transit’s Meadowlands shuttle can move about 10,000. The Garden State has approved spending up to $135 million to design, engineer and construct a bus route to complement the train shuttle between Secaucus Junction station and MetLife to move another 10,000 people per hour.
- FIFA eliminated 23,000 parking spots normally available at MetLife to increase its security and media perimeter, which shifted the burden of transporting 56,000 fans to NJ Transit, the host committee’s bus shuttle and ride-sharing. Philadelphia’s stadium will have parking, which will reduce strain on the city’s mass transit system.
‘The wonders of American democracy’
New Jersey, without assistance from host partner New York, has approved more than $307 million in taxpayer spending to provide the host committee with a loan and make FIFA-required changes to the stadium and infrastructure upgrades, according to documents obtained by NorthJersey.com.
Sherrill says she won’t keep shifting the tournament’s financial burdens to taxpayers.
Those tensions — and the use of host committees — are in stark contrast to the last two World Cup tournaments, which were held in Qatar and Russia, where most of the coordinating went through a central government and money wasn’t an issue, said Robert Sroka, an assistant professor of sports management at Towson University in Maryland.
“Here, you have the wonders of American democracy at work and all sorts of political tensions that aren’t present in other places,” Sroka said.
While the host committees are meant to lessen the financial burdens on taxpayers, the final bill will end up falling to local and state governments that agree to host these expensive mega events.
“Current politicians, whether they like it or not, they have to deal with whatever was left on their plate by their predecessors,” Sroka said. “You’re stuck with the bill — so enjoy the party while it lasts.”
Why American retirees return to work
A new survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows the percentage of American retirees that return to work.
It’s no secret that some places across the country are better suited for retirement.
Some states that have great weather, beach towns and senior centers that can offer retirees a serene life.
GOBankingRates.com pulled data to find the best and worst place in each U.S. state to retire for seniors ready to tuck-in their golden years.
The personal finance website used the U.S. Census American Community Survey to find each city’s total population, total households, percentage of the population aged 65-plus, the percentage of the 65-plus population below the poverty rate, and the total number of residents aged 65-plus under the poverty rate in the findings.
Here are the results for the Garden State:
Best place to retire in New Jersey
With a livability score of 74, the best city to retire in New Jersey is zip code 08330 for Mays Landing and here’s why:
- The average income of households with retirement income: $37,576; the average income of households with Social Security income: $29,306.
- The average monthly total cost of living: $1,828 and the average monthly mortgage cost: $1,978. As of May 2024, the average single family home value is $332,047.
Worst place to retire in New Jersey
With a livability score of 60, the worst place to retire in New Jersey is zip code 07055 for Passaic and here’s why:
- The average income of households with retirement income: $18,014; the average income of households with Social Security income: $17,831.
- The average monthly total cost of living: $2,102 and the average monthly mortgage cost: $3,261. As of May 2024 the average single family home value is $547,431.
Best and Worst Places to retire in the Tri-State
These are the findings, according to Gobankingsrate.com study:
Connecticut
- Best city: Meriden has a Livability score of 82.
- Average income of households with retirement income: $29,536
- Average income of households with Social Security income: $21,732
- Average monthly total cost of living: $2,036
- Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,839
- Average single family home value (May 2024): $308,689
- Worst city: Stamford has a Livability score of 70.
- Average income of households with retirement income: $37,859
- Average income of households with Social Security income: $23,074
- Average monthly total cost of living: $2,237
- Average monthly mortgage cost: $4,979
- Average single family home value (May 2024): $835,703
Delaware
- Best city: Newark has a Livability score of 83
- Average income of households with retirement income: $45,461
- Average income of households with Social Security income: $27,664
- Average monthly total cost of living: $2,052
- Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,103
- Average single family home value (May 2024): $352,939
- Worst city: Wilmington has a Livability score of 62
- Average income of households with retirement income: $25,660
- Average income of households with Social Security income: $20,414
- Average monthly total cost of living: $1,959
- Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,903
- Average single family home value (May 2024): $319,510
New York
- Best city: Fredonia has a Livability score of 82
- Average income of households with retirement income: $26,532
- Average income of households with Social Security income: $26,594
- Average monthly total cost of living: $1,761
- Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,164
- Average single family home value (May 2024): $195,320
- Worst city: Monsey has a Livability score of 61
- Average income of households with retirement income: $31,311
- Average income of households with Social Security income: $26,781
- Average monthly total cost of living: $2,396
- Average monthly mortgage cost: $7,385
- Average single family home value (May 2024): $1,239,569
Pennsylvania
- Best city: Titusville has a Livability score of 82
- Average income of households with retirement income: $18,140
- Average income of households with Social Security income: $19,844
- Average monthly total cost of living: $1,750
- Average monthly mortgage cost: $616
- Average single family home value (May 2024): $103,403
- Worst city: Philadelphia has a Livability score of 76
- Average income of households with retirement income: $25,430
- Average income of households with Social Security income: $18,515
- Average monthly total cost of living: $2,084
- Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,307
- Average single family home value (May 2024): $219,330
New Jersey
Thunderstorms will clear wildfire smoke from Northeast ahead of World Cup final, meteorologists say
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the Northeast in haze is expected to mostly clear from the New Jersey area just in time for the World Cup final on Sunday, thanks to thunderstorms passing through the area, meteorologists say.
Warnings of unhealthy air quality remained in effect Saturday across a wide swath of the United States. At MetLife Stadium, where the final is taking place, it rained heavily and thunder boomed. State police urged people to leave the stadium seating bowl and field and take shelter. Volunteers and staff dashed inside for cover as ponchos were handed out. The sky was the same thick, soupy gray it has been for days.
READ MORE: Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota pushes farther into the U.S. and engulfs D.C. in haze
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill warned residents Saturday about the potential for damaging winds, tornadoes, flash flooding and large hail, and flooding caused scattered street closures in New York. Spain’s training session ahead of the final against Argentina was suspended at a field near the stadium because of the storms and lighting in the area. And FIFA said it was in close contact with local authorities as it continues to monitor the impacts from the wildfire smoke and the storms on the conditions on field at MetLife Stadium.
President Donald Trump faulted Canada for the smoke crossing the border and threatened tariffs in response. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said threats from the United States were unacceptable and shortsighted.
Storms will help clear the air
This storm front will largely move the smoke out of the Northeast before the final between Spain and Argentina, said Tyler Roys, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. MetLife Stadium, which has been renamed the New York/New Jersey Stadium for the matches, is an open-air stadium.
General view as smoke from the wildfires is seen surrounding the New York/New Jersey Stadium ahead of the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 18, 2026. Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters
“There could be some lingering smoke that would make things hazy, but very faint,” Roys said. “In terms of the thickest smoke, the smoke that has really been eye-popping and leads to poor air quality, that is not expected across New York City or much of the Northeast.”
Meteorologist says the air quality for the game ‘won’t be dangerous’
WFLA-TV Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist Jeff Berardelli, in Tampa, Florida, echoed that, saying the storm front would “sweep the atmosphere clean,” leaving only a thin smoke that World Cup spectators may still smell in the air.
The air quality index shows an improvement from unhealthy air for sensitive groups on Saturday to “moderate” air quality Sunday in East Rutherford, which means little to no health risk for the general public.
“It won’t be dangerous anymore,” Berardelli said. “It’s going to be dramatically better.”
The smoke could still cause issues for people who are sensitive to particulate matter, and they should check the air quality index particularly in the morning, said Rob Shackelford, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel app and weather.com.
Air quality at the field is measured every 10 minutes, said David Lu, CEO and co-founder of Clarity Movement, an environmental technology company providing air quality monitoring services. In the past two days, the readings have swung between the level where the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups and the level where it’s very unhealthy, Lu said. He said Saturday afternoon he expects to see improvement in the readings within hours because of the rain.
READ MORE: What to know about bad air caused by wildfires and how to protect yourself
Temperatures are forecast to be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), with light breezes and low humidity for the start of the final.
“You couldn’t have asked for much better weather for the World Cup,” Berardelli added.
Both Roys and Berardelli expect the heavier smoke Sunday to be concentrated closer to the fires, hanging over parts of the Midwest and the Great Lakes region.
Trump talks of new tariffs on Canada
The president made no mention of the World Cup final but said on his social media platform, “We are holding Canada responsible.” He added that the U.S. “is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!”
WATCH: The health risks of wildfire smoke across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the topic of U.S. officials complaining about smoke from during a news conference Thursday. Carney said climate change is the responsibility of everyone, including the United States.
Ford said Canada has contributed to fighting fires in the U.S. and offered assistance when Georgia was hit by a hurricane in 2024 because “that’s what neighbors do.” Ford called the rhetoric “absolutely unacceptable” when Canada is “trying to get through this.”
There are hundreds of active fires in Canada
Wildfires have been igniting across Canada and northern Minnesota this month. Berardelli said they are burning longer and faster because of climate change. The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System showed hundreds of active fires Saturday. Environment Canada issued air quality warnings across the country and into the Northwest Territories.
The fires prompted evacuations, including in Nova Scotia where there’s a large fire that local and provincial crews have been fighting since Wednesday, and in northwestern Ontario, where some of the most intense fires are burning.
In Ontario, nearly 200 wildfires have already scorched more land than all of last year’s fires. In Thunder Bay, Ontario, Fire Chief Dave Tarini said this fire season is unprecedented in his more than 35 years as a firefighter.
In British Columbia, about 100 fires are burning, a huge jump from the 20 firefighters were facing Wednesday. The BC Wildfire Service says the fires are largely the result of 4,000 lightning strikes that hit the province Friday.
McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island. AP writer Jim Morris in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Sports Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed to this report.
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
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New Jerseyans are pretty much born with bragging rights.
Despite our small state being the punchline for jokes and stereotyped a million different ways, anyone from the Garden State knows that New Jersey is truly one of a kind.
The state isn’t simply Springsteen and the Sopranos, or beaches and Pine Barrens — although those are pretty amazing things we get to represent with pride.
In fact, our state’s achievements date back to the very beginnings of this country.
As July 27 rolls around, National New Jersey Day honors being the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, the rich and illustrious culture of the nation’s most densely populated state welcomes countless ways to celebrate, wherever your exit may be.
Get a pork roll egg and & cheese for breakfast
Starting National New Jersey day with this beloved salty breakfast staple just makes sense. Whether it’s pork roll or Taylor Ham to you, the beauty of this sandwich is it’s simplicity as well as it’s customization — most stick to tried and true trio of salt, pepper and ketchup, (but New Jersey rock legend Bon Jovi said prefers his with mustard). If salty breakfast meat isn’t your cup of tea, get a bagel instead. Many even say New Jersey bagels are better than New York’s.
Visit a local farmer’s market/buy local produce
It’s not called the Garden State for no reason — New Jersey is home to vast stretches of farmland abundant with fruits and vegetables that feed not only locals, but the rest of the country as well. Support farmers in your area and stop by your local farmer’s market for some Jersey corn and fresh blueberries (the state fruit). Don’t forget to stock up on a few iconic Jersey tomatoes in their peak growing season.
Head to the Jersey Shore
People from all over the world vacation at the Jersey Shore. It’s not just the soft sands for sunbathing that attracts them, but the endless miles of boardwalks that overlook the Atlantic shoreline as well. New Jersey is home to the first boardwalk in the country, so taking a stroll on the nearest boardwalk and breathing in the ocean air is a quintessential activity for celebrating the state. The vibrant colors of a Jersey Shore sunrise or sunset bring peace to any viewer.
Eat at a local diner
Nothing says Americana like a diner — the chrome exteriors, neon signs and the enticing cake display upon arrival practically scream U.S.A. Despite their decline over the years, New Jersey still has over 400 diners where you can grab a quick meal at nearly any hour of the day. The state’s impressive amount of laid-back eateries even give it the nickname of “the diner capital of the world.” When you’re hungry after driving for long stretches of time on the highway or simply want chocolate chip pancakes at midnight, a diner can always be found in the Garden State.
Take a stroll at a historic park, forest or site
As one of the original Thirteen Colonies, historic sites from the Revolutionary War era can be found all across New Jersey — from pristinely preserved pre-war homes, historic parks in full bloom with scenic overlooks, and monuments that honor New Jersey’s significant role in the birth of the nation. Slip back into time on an old battlefield or merely bask in the state’s natural charm of the past.
Stream New Jersey artists
Lana Del Rey once said, “Springsteen is the king, don’t you think?” and pretty much any New Jerseyan will agree. Aside from ‘The Boss,’ household names like Whitney Houston, Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah, Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, SZA and Lauryn Hill all hail from The Garden State. On National New Jersey Day, fill your ears with the melodic raps of Paterson’s Fetty Wap or the powerful lyrics of Belleville’s My Chemical Romance — There’s an NJ musician out there for everyone.
Eat international cuisine
New Jersey is recognized as a major cultural hub for Italian Americans, so it’s no secret that we have the best pizza and pasta in the country. But New Jersey’s incredibly diverse population ushers in eateries offering culinary dishes from cultures all over the globe. Restaurants offering Latin, Caribbean, African and Asian cuisines can be found statewide, with something new to try for every foodie.
Drive through a jughandle
This isn’t necessarily a way to celebrate the state, but something you’ll probably end up doing anyways. Missed your turn somewhere? Don’t worry, there’s likely a jughandle you can turn onto.
Get gas
After driving all day, pull up to your nearest gas station and let the gas attendant know your preferred amount for filling up your tank. Even with higher gas prices, “Twenty regular cash,” still rolls off the tongues of many New Jerseyans with ease. Appreciate the fact that you can sit comfortably in your car while doing so.
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