2026 World Cup: traffic jams, rush for tickets, New York and New Jersey under pressure before the big meeting
By OnzeActu · · 3 min read
The arrival of the 2026 World Cup leads to a real race for tickets and a complex organization faced with the expected influx of spectators in the New York/New Jersey region. Between enthusiasm, tensions around prices and traffic management, the American metropolis is mobilizing to live up to the global event.
For the first time in more than thirty years, the United States is preparing to host the World Cup, in collaboration with Canada and Mexico. But a few months before kick-off, the excitement gives way to multiple concerns about the country's ability to calmly organize the most followed event on the football planet.
In Morristown, New Jersey, the Brazilian selection has already taken up residence at the Red Bull training center. Fans flock to watch the Seleção players, take a few photos or leave with an autograph. For Matheus Cunha, Manchester United striker, the experience is already “excellent”: he praises the welcome, the quality of the pitch and even the weather, which reminds him of Brazil. Not without humor, he also recalls: “We call it football, not soccer”.
For the supporters, the excitement is mainly confronted with the fear of the giant traffic jam. Vivi de Castro, a Brazilian living in the United States, warns: “During the Brazil-France friendly match in Boston in March, we missed access to the pitch because of traffic jams. On foot, we went faster than by bus. » The authorities are therefore increasing the number of warnings: signs on the highways, messages for transport users and official designation of each match day as “traffic alert day”. Specific corridors for travel, the reinforcement of more than 100 agents and an adaptation of the public transport network are on the program to limit the chaos.
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The rush for tickets is also at the center of concerns. In Brooklyn, young players from the SC Gjøa club had the chance to win tickets. Baxter Rowland, goalkeeper, will attend two matches. But, for his mother, it is the organization of the journey that worries the most: “I study everything, parking, traffic… It will surely be stressful, especially at the beginning, before everything is established. »
For other families, obtaining places is an obstacle course, particularly during the raffle organized to offer affordable prices: within a few minutes, registrations were closed. “It’s almost heartbreaking to feel excluded because of the price,” says a mother.
Faced with this observation, free festive zones are planned to allow everyone to experience the competition despite the absence of a ticket. A boon also for local bars and businesses. Enda Keenan, boss of the Legends Bar, expects a record crowd: “During the Champions League final, there were more than 2,000 people. But during the World Cup, it will be yet another dimension. »
With nearly 1.2 million visitors expected in the region between New York and New Jersey, the mobilization is total. The growing popularity of football in the United States, illustrated by the increase in the number of licensees, fuels both enthusiasm and fear of organizational chaos. It remains to be seen whether the American metropolis will be able, when the time comes, to take up the challenge of the World Cup.