First weekday World Cup match tri-state could impact your commute. Are you ready? – NBC New York

If you plan on commuting to or from New York and New Jersey on Tuesday, you better be ready for what may turn out to be a nightmarish situation.

Although the day marks the second match played at NY/NJ Stadium during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it’s the first match scheduled during the work week.

France is set to face-off Senegal at 3 p.m. — potentially setting off a headache-inducing chain of events for commuters trying to get to and from work.

While eight matches will be played in total at NY/NJ Stadium during the World Cup, including the final on July 19, four of those matches are scheduled on weekdays. Two will impact evening commutes. (The area matches will take place: June 13, 16, 22, 25, 27, 30, and July 5 & 19.)

Here’s what you should know if you are commuting during a match day.

NJ Transit

While regular rail service, according to NJ Transit, will run on regular schedules, the biggest match day impacts will be felt at Penn Station New York and Secaucus Junction during the four hours leading up to kickoff — time which access to trains will be limited to World Cup ticket holders traveling to the stadium.

For those regular NJ Transit riders just trying to make it to work or home, you can use PATH, which will cross honor rail ticket holders, between 33rd Street to Newark Penn or Hoboken Terminal. From there riders will have to find connections to other NJ Transit destinations.

NJ Transit warns customers not attending the match to “expect higher-than-normal ridership across rail, light rail, and bus services, even on non-match days.” Because of this reality, the agency recommends:

• avoid traveling on match days as much as possible, unless it is essential;
• if you have to travel, avoid doing so during peak match travel windows;
• if you can work from home, do so;
• use alternative transportation options of possible;
• plan ahead of time to minimize impact.

For more information, including specific NJ Transit line information, click here.

Driving

Plan. Plan. Plan.

This is your best bet if you are driving to and from work on match days — especially if you live near the stadium or take major highways that fans going to matches may take (think NJ Turnpike, Route 3, Route 17, and Garden State Parkway, among others).