We’re officially 60 days out from the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament in Mexico — and a mere 64 days from the first match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Eight World Cup games, including the final, will be played at MetLife Stadium — and transit in and around the area tends to get nightmarish at high-volume times. Plans are underway to mitigate the inevitable headaches. New York’s Penn Station will be a key transit point on match days, four of which are on weekdays — and reports this week about possible partial closures in the hours leading up to games have gotten people talking. NJ Transit and the FIFA World Cup New York New Jersey Host Committee haven’t confirmed details other than there will be a temporary diversion program in place at Penn Station on match days. Unprecedented crowds are expected. NJ Transit expects to move about 40,000 people daily on match days, and roughly 28,000 (70%) of those people are expected to move through the Manhattan transportation hub, according to NorthJersey.com, which first reported some major planned Penn Station changes earlier this week. NorthJersey.com has said the plans involve barring commuters from accessing New Jersey-bound trains for the four hours prior to the start of matches at MetLife. The New York Times also reported on the matter. (See the full World Cup schedule, including all local matches, here.) NJ Transit and the FIFA World Cup NYNJ Host Committee are expected to announce official plans in the coming weeks. The heads of both are set to attend a Chamber of Commerce meeting on May 1. FIFA World Cup Apr 2 World Cup final tickets soar to $10,990 as FIFA reopens sales amid glitches 2026 World Cup Dec 6, 2025 Full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule: See the key dates, kickoff times and venues Kris Kolluri, NJ Transit’s president and CEO, has said the eight match days will be “the most important security event we’re ever going to see in the nation. Not only is the President going to be there, but 14 heads of state will be there.” As far as payment, Kolluri says New Jersey taxpayers won’t foot the bill. He says NJ Transit will release plans on how World Cup service will be paid for at a later time. New York City, meanwhile, is making adjustments as well. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced that the city would not approve permits for large-scale events this summer because of increased demand on the NYPD during the World Cup and America250 celebrations. He called it a matter of public safety. Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that NJ Transit and the FIFA World Cup NY/NJ Host Committee were holding a Friday press conference. ...read more read less