When Brazil and Morocco face off Saturday in the first of eight World Cup matches being played across the Hudson River, New Yorkers should brace for a month’s worth of disruptions.
While several 2026 World Cup contests, including the July 19 final, will be staged in the Meadowlands at the temporarily rebranded NYNJ Stadium — yes, the one in New Jersey — FIFA’s projected influx of more than 1 million visitors is sure to add more than a few wrinkles to getting around, especially on match days.
Mass transit service disruptions, altered bus routes, closed streets near Penn Station and more traffic than usual in Midtown Manhattan are among the looming obstacles for millions of daily commuters on multiple modes of transportation. There’s even a possibility that the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs extend to a sixth game in the NBA Finals, setting up a potential June 16 clash with the World Cup.
But New York officials insist the city is ready to keep things on the go, even at a reduced clip.
“We can handle this, we’ve got this, this is what we do best,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday at a briefing on New York’s transportation readiness. “And for those who are saying, ‘You know, stay home from work’ — no, come to the city, celebrate, otherwise you’re missing the excitement and energy.”
Four matches will be held at what’s usually known at MetLife Stadium on weekdays, with four more on weekends:
Saturday, June 13, 6 p.m. (Brazil vs. Morocco)
Tuesday, June 16, 3 p.m. (France vs. Senegal)
Monday, June 22, 8 p.m. (Norway vs. Senegal)
Thursday, June 25, 4 p.m. (Ecuador vs. Germany)
Saturday, June 27, 5 p.m. (Panama vs. England)
Tuesday, June 30, 5 p.m. (Round of 32)
Sunday, July 5, 4 p.m. (Round of 16)
Sunday, July 19, 3 p.m. (Final)
Here’s what you need to know about getting around during the tournament:
Jump to …
I regularly commute by subway through Penn Station. Will my ride be affected?I’m a LIRR rider who commutes through Penn Station. How will that be impacted by the games?I take NJ Transit in and out of Midtown. How bad will it be? Should I really just stay home?How will bus service be affected on match days?Will Grand Central Terminal be affected at all by match days?What do I need to know about taking Amtrak in or out of Penn Station during the World Cup?My home, office, doctor’s office or business is in Midtown. Will I be able to walk on the streets normally? What will be shut down?Can New Yorkers bike through Midtown during the games, or should they steer clear?If I drive through Midtown to commute, will I be able to get through? What about Access-A-Ride service for people with disabilities?I need to make or receive deliveries in Midtown for my business during the World Cup. What’s going on there?What happens if the NBA Finals — being played directly above Penn Station — bump up against the World Cup?
I regularly commute by subway through Penn Station. Will my ride be affected?
Yes — but also no.
The MTA’s portion of Penn Station will remain open throughout the World Cup for riders on the 1, 2, 3, A, C and E lines. But that doesn’t mean service will run as it would when there’s not an onslaught of soccer fans trying to get to the games via NJ Transit from the country’s busiest transit hub.
The MTA has warned riders to expect to encounter large crowds on match days. Then there is the prospect of everyday service interruptions — the signal delays and “train traffic ahead of us” types.
But the MTA is adding service before and after matches on the 1 and C lines, which stop at 34th Street-Penn Station. It’s also boosting service on the F and 7 lines. The latter line is getting a service increase in anticipation of crowds at fan events at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, as well as on match days coinciding with Mets games.
“Moving millions is what we do — 4.5 million every weekday on the subway these days, 7 million including all of our different MTA operations,” Janno Lieber, MTA chairperson and chief executive, said at the Thursday briefing. “And keeping riders safe while we’re delivering them to their destination is always the No. 1 priority.”
I’m a LIRR rider who commutes through Penn Station. How will that be impacted by the games?
Regular LIRR service will be running through Penn Station, with commuters given the same warning to those taking the subway in and out there: Expect big crowds on match days.
MTA officials are urging LIRR riders who travel in and out of Penn Station to consider switching on match days to Grand Central Madison on Manhattan’s East Side, or Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.
“It may be a faster and smoother commute for you on those match days,” Lieber said.
I take NJ Transit in and out of Midtown. How bad will it be? Should I really just stay home?
NJ Transit would tell you that’s actually not a bad idea. The agency has said it “strongly recommends” not traveling on match days.
In the four hours before kickoff, access to trains at New York Penn Station (as well as at Secaucus Junction in New Jersey) will be restricted to those traveling to NYNJ Stadium in order to safely handle crowds.
For three hours after the matches end, trains traveling to Penn Station (the one in Manhattan!) on select NJ Transit lines will terminate at Newark Penn Station (the one in New Jersey). From Newark Penn, NJ Transit rail tickets will be cross-honored for PATH travel into New York.
But if you’re traveling out of New York Penn Station up to three hours after matches end, riders should expect “significant crowding” when fans leaving the games are picked up at Secaucus Junction.
NJ Transit is also warning riders it may have to make temporary adjustments before and after each match.
How will bus service be affected on match days?
In many ways, so take note of the service changes listed below.
The following bus lanes will be restricted to NYNJ Stadium shuttle buses, MTA local buses, emergency vehicles and those from official World Cup affiliates:
42nd Street will be for buses only between First and 10th avenues.
Along Sixth Avenue, between 42nd and 59th streets, the two easternmost lanes will be for buses only.
Along Fifth Avenue, existing bus lanes will be utilized between 42nd and 59th streets.
West 40th Street will have bus-only blocks between Eighth and 11th avenues.
West 41st Street will be for buses only between Eighth and 10th avenues.
The bus-only stretches of the above locations will take effect six hours before matches start and up to three hours after their end.
On match days, NYNJ Stadium shuttle buses will ferry World Cup ticket holders with non-stop express service between Manhattan and the stadium through the Lincoln Tunnel.
Stadium shuttles will have pick-up and drop-off locations at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Columbus Circle and near Grand Central Terminal.
Then there are the many MTA local and express bus routes serving multiple boroughs where riders should anticipate delays, reroutes and bus-stop relocations.
Local routes:
M5, M7, M10, M11, M15, M20, M22, M34, M42, M50, M104 and Q32
Express bus routes:
BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, BM5, X27/28, X37/38, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, SIM1C, SIM10, SIM23, SIM24, SIM25, SIM3/C, SIM30, SIM31, SIM33C, SIM4C, SIM8.
Will Grand Central Terminal be affected at all by match days?
The MTA says commuters who travel between the city and its northern suburbs on Metro-North Railroad should expect service changes for the duration of the World Cup. Because the transportation authority is urging Long Island Rail Road riders who usually commute in and out of Penn Station to consider using Grand Central Madison on match days, that station could see a surge in riders.
What do I need to know about taking Amtrak in or out of Penn Station during the World Cup?
Amtrak is asking its customers to arrive at least 45 minutes before a scheduled departure to have ample time to locate their tracks within Penn Station or Moynihan Train Hall. The railroad is expecting heavy ridership on match days.
Hochul has also urged Amtrak to avoid construction work during the World Cup that could lead to a repeat of recent service meltdowns that came in the wake of fires in the railroad’s tunnels near Penn Station.
Lieber said backup shuttle bus service options are in place should there be another major incident.
“Those have a lot of capacity as well as the New Jersey Transit trains,” Lieber said. “But the key is that obviously Amtrak doesn’t engage in any work that increases the risk and they have given us that assurance at the governor’s request.”
My home, office, doctor’s office or business is in Midtown. Will I be able to walk on the streets normally? What will be shut down?
Walking is encouraged whenever possible, though disruptions could come into play.
Some sidewalks and bike lanes will be permanently expanded. One instance is along Sixth Avenue, where a protected bike lane that extends between 14th Street and West 31st Street is being doubled in width ahead of the World Cup.
There will be some streets closed around Penn Station on match days. Those include 33rd Street between Sixth and Eighth avenues and 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues.
Can New Yorkers bike through Midtown during the games, or should they steer clear?
Get on the bike and go.
If I drive through Midtown to commute, will I be able to get through?
Only if you must — and give yourself lots and lots of time. All eight World Cup days in New Jersey will be gridlock alert days in Manhattan and the city’s Department of Transportation is urging motorists to save themselves the agony.
“The World Cup will be an extraordinary moment for the city, but it will also have major impacts on traffic,” said Mike Flynn, the department’s commissioner. “Whether you’re going to a match, heading to work or just going about your day, please walk, bike or take transit.”
What about Access-A-Ride service for people with disabilities?
The MTA says its paratransit service may be subject to changes to accommodate ground transportation through the Lincoln Tunnel to NYNJ Stadium.
I need to make or receive deliveries in Midtown for my business during the World Cup. What’s going on there?
On match days, there will be restrictions on truck deliveries.
“From six hours before matches kick off until three hours after each match concludes, truck deliveries will be restricted between 30th and 60th streets,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said last week, adding that smaller vehicles will be exempt.
Flynn, the city transportation commissioner, said agency staffers are going door to door in Midtown to ensure that businesses in the area are aware of the delivery restrictions.
What happens if the NBA Finals — being played directly above Penn Station — bump up against the World Cup?
It’s possible, believe it or not, Knicks fans.
If the Knicks-Spurs series somehow reaches a sixth game, it would be played at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. That’s about four hours after the start of a France vs. Senegal match at NYNJ Stadium.
“Luckily, that means that there is some time between Penn Station closures ending and the tipoff of that potential game,” Mamdani said.
While Game 5 of the NBA Finals will be played in San Antonio on Saturday, June 13 — the day when the local World Cup action starts at 6 p.m. — there is a 5 Seconds of Summer show at Madison Square Garden that night at 8 p.m.
When asked about the possibility of the events clashing, the mayor struck a “What, me worry?” pose.
“This is a moment that we have been preparing for, we have been hoping for and we feel fully prepared for it,” Mamdani said.
Our nonprofit newsroom relies on donations from readers to sustain our local reporting and keep it free for all New Yorkers. Donate to THE CITY today.
The post World Cup Chaos: Your Guide to Getting Around Midtown and Penn Station During the Games appeared first on The City Reporter.
