MetLife Stadium has been ranked among the worst venues for matchday traffic in the United States, adding another unwanted statistic to the New Jersey stadium’s reputation.
The finding comes just a few months after the venue hosted eight 2026 World Cup matches, including the final, when transport and access around the stadium required extensive planning.
MetLife Stadium among worst US stadiums for matchday traffic
New research from Betpack has ranked MetLife Stadium – known as New York New Jersey Stadium during the tournament – as the sixth-most congested NFL stadium, analysing traffic within a one-kilometre radius of 30 venues.
MetLife recorded a traffic score of 72.4 out of 100, with congestion on game days rising 212.7% above baseline levels. Average speeds fall to just 13.4mph, while travelling six miles around the stadium takes an average of 27.7 minutes.
The findings follow a separate Fall 2025 ranking from Pickswise which placed MetLife second-worst among NFL stadiums for game-day traffic. That study found it took almost 39 minutes to travel 10 kilometres during peak periods.
Traffic concerns were already well established before the 2026 World Cup.
A 2025 study examining transport around the venue highlighted Route 3 as a longstanding congestion hotspot, with previous major events producing multi-mile backups, local road spillovers and significant bus delays.
Those problems became particularly relevant during the tournament as FIFA removed normal stadium parking, with the majority of MetLife’s usual parking capacity instead used for a temporary bus terminal, fan activities and security operations.
Limited parking at nearby American Dream cost over £200 and required advance booking.
Authorities also issued repeated warnings about congestion on Route 3, Route 495, the New Jersey Turnpike and surrounding roads, while NJ Transit introduced major matchday changes to cope with the additional demand.
A post-tournament NJ Transit review found that the eight matches had successfully been supported, but also identified increased pedestrian activity around American Dream, rideshare queues and vehicle backups that contributed to prolonged passenger waiting times.
FGG says: MetLife's traffic ranking is hardly surprising after the 2026 World Cup
This latest ranking feels less like a revelation and more like confirmation of something that was already obvious around MetLife.
The transport problems were well documented before the World Cup, while the tournament itself required an extraordinary mobility operation simply to keep tens of thousands of supporters moving.
That does not mean the World Cup transport operation was a failure.
NJ Transit says it successfully delivered the required service across all eight matches, but its own review acknowledged the additional congestion and crowding created by how fans travelled to and from the stadium.