Severe traffic and commuter delays are expected in New York and New Jersey as roads and transit systems brace for World Cup crowds ahead of the France-Senegal match at MetLife Stadium Tuesday afternoon.
The combination of the typical daily rush-hour traffic, street closures and vehicle restrictions with thousands of soccer fans traveling in has resulted in a “Gridlock Alert Day,” a designation used by the NYC Department of Transportation for the worst traffic days of the year.
“NYC DOT will monitor traffic and make real-time adjustments to traffic signals to keep New Yorkers and visitors safely moving,” the agency said. “New Yorkers and visitors are urged to walk, bike or take public transportation instead of driving when possible.”
Officials also said fans attending the game should arrive early and similarly encouraged them to rely on public transit.
Tickets for the official stadium buses, however, have since sold out, NJ.com reported. There were initially about 12,000 available.
Soccer fans exit a NJ Transit train at Meadowlands as they arrive at MetLife Stadium on June 13, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)
For much of the day, major routes around Port Authority and Penn Station will be limited to just FIFA vehicles and buses transporting fans to MetLife Stadium. Streets east of Madison Square Garden will also be closed to accommodate hundreds of standby buses.
These temporary “bus-only corridor” lanes will apply to all eight match days at MetLife.
What’s more, NJ Transit service at Penn Station will be reserved for World Cup ticket holders in the hours before the match, with access to a dedicated NJ Transit entrance at Sixth and Seventh avenues.
The general view inside the stadium before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match between Brazil and Morocco at Metlife Stadium on June 13, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Non-soccer fans traveling aboard NJ Transit will, meanwhile, be forced to use an alternate route.
Train officials said more than 20,000 NJ TRANSIT World Cup travel tickets have been sold for today’s match.