New Jersey lowered its round-trip fare to World Cup games at MetLife ​Stadium to $105 from $150 on Thursday, local media ‌reported, after the original price drew criticism from FIFA.

The reduced fare still dwarfs the less ​than $15 the same route costs on ​a typical day and exceeds the $80 round-trip ⁠fare for FIFA’s own shuttle service ​to the 82,500-seat stadium, which will host ​eight World Cup matches, including the final on July 19.

The CEO of New Jersey’s public transportation provider ​, NJ Transit, Kris Kolluri, had last ​month cited the need for increased security and a ‌higher ⁠number of passengers due to the closure of public parking around the stadium to justify the fare hike.

Reuters has contacted NJ Transit ​for comment ​on the ⁠price change.

The 2026 World Cup’s Chief Operating Officer, Heimo Schirgi, ​said the original $150 price would have “a ​chilling ⁠effect” on fans.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill previously said FIFA should pay for the ⁠rides, ​as NJ Transit had ​been “stuck with a $48 million bill” to ensure fan safety.

-Reuters

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By Kunle Solaja.

FIFA has officially confirmed that all 48 participating nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup must submit their final squad lists by June 2, when the official player rosters will also be unveiled.

According to FIFA, national football associations may announce their squads earlier, but the lists will only become official after approval by the world governing body on the stipulated date.

The squad format for the expanded tournament will remain the same as at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, with each country allowed to register up to 26 players.

The registration process will begin with a provisional phase during which teams must submit an internal list containing between 35 and 55 players, including at least four goalkeepers. FIFA stated that these preliminary lists will remain confidential and unpublished until May 11.

After the provisional stage, participating nations will then be required to submit their final squad of between 23 and 26 players, with a minimum of three goalkeepers included.

FIFA also clarified the rules regarding player replacements after the June 2 deadline. Outfield players can only be replaced in cases of serious injury or illness and must be substituted no later than 24 hours before a team’s opening match. Goalkeepers, however, may be replaced at any stage during the competition under similar circumstances.

The governing body further stressed that every player selected must hold the nationality of the country they are representing and remain under the jurisdiction of the respective participating member association.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the first edition to feature 48 teams.

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Iranian soccer chief Mehdi Taj said on Wednesday he will have a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the next ​three or four days, at which he will seek assurances that his country will be respected at the World ‌Cup in the United States.

Canada, which is co-hosting the June 11 to July 19 World Cup with the U.S. and Mexico, said it refused entry to Taj last week because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Taj said on Tuesday that Iran would not take part in the tournament if ​FIFA could not guarantee respect for the country’s institutions in the U.S., where the team will be based and play ​all three of their group matches.

“We will tell (FIFA) what our expectations are. If they can address them, ⁠we will definitely participate,” the FFIRI president told state broadcaster IRIB in Tehran on Wednesday.

“But if there is no guarantee that they ​will be addressed, then no one has the right to insult us or the pillars of our system.

“And if they continue on the ​path of disrespect, and even ask our players those kinds of questions, we may make a different decision.”

Both the U.S. and Canada classify the IRGC as a “terrorist entity” and have made it clear they will not admit people with links to the elite military force.

Taj, who served as a high-ranking official with ​the IRGC before moving into soccer administration, received the backing of Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei for his stance on Wednesday.

“Look, ​our national football team is not ‘travelling’ to the United States, we are going there to take part in the FIFA World Cup,” Baghaei told ‌reporters ⁠in Tehran.

“Therefore, it is FIFA’s responsibility to provide all the necessary facilities and conditions.

“Host governments also have a very clear obligation under FIFA regulations to provide the necessary arrangements and issue the required visas without taking political considerations or motives into account.

“We hope that FIFA, if only for the sake of preserving its own credibility, will certainly take the necessary measures.”

Iran’s participation in the World Cup has been in ​question since the U.S. and ​Israel launched air strikes on ⁠the Islamic Republic in late February, triggering the war in the region.

Taj also said a wider 30-man squad for the tournament would be selected this week before being cut to the final 26 players after ​a training camp in Turkey.

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei told state media that the squad planned to ​arrive in the ⁠U.S. 14 days before the start of the tournament after the two-week camp.

Ghalenoei said he would like the squad to have two or three warm-up matches, but attempts to set up friendly internationals had proved tricky with teams pulling out at the last minute.

The squad will therefore remain in ⁠Tehran for ​another week before heading to Turkey, where Iran played friendlies against Costa Rica ​and Nigeria in late March, on May 16.

Team Melli are scheduled to get their campaign underway against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The team’s U.S. ​base will be at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona.

-Reuters

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