Walking To the World Cup: NOT POSSIBLE

Summary

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Kennedy Saves the World

Episode: Walking To the World Cup: NOT POSSIBLE
Date: June 11, 2026
Host: Kennedy | FOX News Podcasts

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Overview

In this episode, Kennedy dives into the logistical chaos surrounding the upcoming World Cup matches in the New York/New Jersey area, focusing particularly on the challenges of actually getting to the games at MetLife Stadium. With her trademark wit and irreverence, she contrasts American and European soccer infrastructures, exposes price gouging and transportation nightmares, lampoons public officials’ self-congratulation, and gives listeners a reality check about the real fan experience in the U.S.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. American vs. European Soccer Infrastructure

• European fans: Many walk to stadiums or use abundant public transport, thanks to infrastructure and soccer’s deep roots.
• U.S. reality: "We don't have a soccer stadium in midtown Manhattan...but we do have trains." (Kennedy, 00:25)
• MetLife Stadium location: Inaccessible by foot, and not easily reached via public transport compared to European venues.

2. Outrageous Ticket and Transit Pricing

• World Cup pricing debacle:
  • FIFA set the round-trip transit price from Penn Station to MetLife at a jaw-dropping $150, later generously reduced to $105—still about 8 times the normal fare of $12.90 (Kennedy, 00:25–01:22).
  • “Three times more expensive to see a group stage game in the US than to see the finals in Qatar.” (Kennedy, 02:31)
• Aftermarket markups: Resellers pushing ticket prices to thousands of dollars; Kennedy shares Joe Concha’s struggle to find affordable tickets for his family (02:34).

3. Debunking Euro-Fan Myths: You Can't Walk to MetLife

• Kennedy’s reality check:
  • “You cannot walk. You can't walk to MetLife.” (Kennedy, 03:35)
  • No pedestrian access through the Hudson tunnels; walking requires a detour over the GW Bridge, with hazardous highway stretches to follow—no walk in the park for locals or tourists (03:52–04:22).

4. Anticipated Transit Nightmares

• Amtrak bottleneck: Amtrak controls key rail lines; NJ Transit trains can get sidelined, compounding delays.
• Crowd surge:
  • Expected: Four times the typical peak commuter crowds for every World Cup game at MetLife (05:00-05:27).
  • June 22 & 30 flagged as especially problematic dates.
• Commuter pain:
  • “You are going to be so hosed.” (Co-host, 05:39)
  • Bus alternatives just lead to bottlenecks in infamous NJ/NY traffic.

5. Public Officials: Expect More PR Than Performance

• Kennedy’s skepticism:
  • “Never overestimate public officials, because they will always underwhelm you, and they will display their incompetence at every turn.” (Co-host, 05:53)
  • Politicians (NYC Mayor & Governor Hochul) already patting themselves on the back—before the event even starts (06:29).

6. Disruption for Locals and Workers

• Work-from-home pleas:
  • NJ authorities are telling commuters to stay home, but that’s not feasible for essential workers: “If you are stacking boxes or performing surgery, all of that becomes super, super hard.” (Co-host, 08:22)
• Grocery and healthcare staff: Major logistical headaches looming for those who can’t telecommute.

7. Past Events as Cautionary Tales & The Stinky Truth

• Super Bowl 2014 echo: People stranded at MetLife for hours; this time, heat could turn packed trains into “sweaty, stinky, anti-deodorant Germans” hellscape. (Co-host, 09:00)
• Classic Kennedy humor: “Just pretend that it’s hantavirus coming out of their armpits because that is the only way you are going to salvage your sanity from the stench which will be absolutely real and aggressive.” (Co-host, 09:44)

8. Survival Tips & Looking on the Bright Side

• Plan creatively:
  • Kennedy’s own Super Bowl experience: sidestepping gridlocked Ubers with cash and resourcefulness (10:20).
  • “You’re going to have to get crafty. You’re going to have to get creative and that does not mean... walking over the GWB because it’s not going to get you to MetLife. Might get you killed.” (Co-host, 10:21–10:35)
• Optimism for the fans:
  • “There is still so much to look forward to and I believe that solutions can be had and merriment will be made—despite the Germans.” (Co-host, 10:43)
  • Kennedy highlights a World Cup fan named Freddy documenting his U.S. fast food adventures: “You gotta find that online and hey man, find me if you’re here and let’s high five.” (Kennedy, 11:20)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We don't have a soccer stadium in midtown Manhattan, but we do have trains. And normally a ride on New Jersey Transit from Penn Station... is $12.90. Well, FIFA, in their monopolistic greed, decided to charge $150 per ticket for a round trip ticket...” — Kennedy (00:25)
• “Three times more expensive to see a group stage game in the US than to see the finals in Qatar.” — Kennedy (02:31)
• “You cannot walk. You can’t walk to MetLife.” — Kennedy (03:35)
• “You are going to be so hosed.” — Co-host (05:39)
• “Never overestimate public officials, because they will always underwhelm you, and they will display their incompetence at every turn.” — Co-host (05:53)
• “Can you imagine being stuck on a train with a bunch of sweaty, stinky, anti-deodorant Germans...” — Co-host (09:14)
• “You’re going to have to get crafty. You’re going to have to get creative... that does not mean... walking over the GWB because... might get you killed.” — Co-host (10:21)
• “There is still so much to look forward to and I believe that solutions can be had and merriment will be made—despite the Germans and because the United States going to be the best World cup hosts ever.” — Co-host (10:43)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:25 — Kennedy’s introduction, European vs. US stadium accessibility, and FIFA ticket pricing outrage.
• 02:31 — Comparative costs: World Cup group stage in the US vs. finals in Qatar.
• 03:35 — “You cannot walk...” Myth-busting Euro fan assumptions.
• 05:00–05:39 — Anticipated mass transit gridlock and warnings for NJ Transit commuters.
• 06:29 — Officials’ premature victory laps.
• 08:00 — NJ’s futile “work from home” pleas to essential workers.
• 09:00 — Super Bowl and heat/odor disaster scenarios.
• 10:20 — Kennedy’s Super Bowl hack and survival advice.
• 11:20 — World Cup fan Freddy and final pep talk.

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Tone and Style

• Humorous, with sharp political and cultural satire.
• Direct, often irreverent, and briskly-paced.
• Encouraging despite the criticisms, closing with a rallying call for fans and a spirit of creative problem-solving.

Conclusion

Kennedy delivers a no-holds-barred assessment of what fans and locals can expect around the 2026 World Cup in the NY/NJ area: price-gouging, logistical hurdles, unprepared officials, and the daunting reality of American transit. Yet, true to her style, she pairs the harsh truths with humor, practical advice, and optimism—reminding listeners to come prepared, get creative, and enjoy the unforgettable chaos of a World Cup on American soil.

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Transcript

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[Kennedy]

Hello, and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. It's very difficult for me to contain my World cup excitement. I am so looking forward to having World cup games right here, just a stone's throw from where this very podcast studio is in midtown Manhattan. It's going to be the games here in the New York, New Jersey area will be played in New Jersey at MetLife Stadium. And it's very interesting because in Europe, in all European cities, they have a number of soccer stadiums because soccer, not football, is obviously bigger in Europe than, than it is in the United States. That's why the best U.S. players play overseas, and that's why the men's team has gotten so much better, because they are challenged in international play and they are forged in the, the crucible of intensity that is European soccer. And for a lot of these European fans, they just walk to the stadium or, you know, they have easier access to some of their massive stadiums in Paris and London than we do here in the New York City area. We don't have a soccer stadium in midtown Manhattan, but we do have trains. And normally a ride on New Jersey Transit from Penn Station to New Jersey is $13. Just under $13, 12, 90. Well, FIFA, in their monopolistic greed, decided to charge $150 per ticket for a round trip ticket from Penn Station to the Meadowlands and back, obviously. And they so graciously lowered the price to $105. So just to give you a little bit of perspective, the games in Qatar, where the last World cup was, Qatar, however you want to say it, three times more expensive to see a group stage game in the US Than to

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

see the finals in Qatar.

[Kennedy]

Now, the problem with Qatar is you'd have to go to Qatar, and that's really far away. And here in the United States, FIFA decided to engage in dynamic pricing, which is the very mechanism that jacks up tickets. And even their, their aftermarket resellers are boosting ticket prices to thousands and thousands of dollars. I was talking to Joe Contra on Outnumbered yesterday, and he was saying that he and his kids looked into going to the US Paraguay game tomorrow in Los Angeles. You know, it airs at 6 o' clock on the west, 9 o' clock on the east coast, and cheapest tickets for him and his family, thousand bucks each. So obviously they would have had to pay for travel and it's not cheap to stay in la, so they're not going to do that. But there are a lot of European fans who are like, oh, you Americans are such sissies. We're just going to walk to the stadium. You cannot walk. You can't walk to MetLife.

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

You.

[Kennedy]

I mean, you can. It's like 10 miles of impossible traversing over the George Washington Bridge because there is no pedestrian access through either of the. The tunnels that go under the Hudson River.

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

You.

[Kennedy]

You would have to walk over the GW Bridge, and you'd have to walk really far to get there and really far over the bridge. And then once you get over the bridge, you have to navigate some very fierce highways and byways with New Jersey and New York drivers who are all gas, no brakes, and they. They do not fear pedestrians for from other areas of the world who are not used to the unnavigatable byways here in this country. So I want to destroy that myth right now. You cannot walk to MetLife. And unfortunately, it's going to be very difficult for regular commuters on New Jersey transit. So here's the problem with New Jersey transit. Amtrak basically owns the rail lines in this region, especially going into Penn Station. So if there are Amtrak trains that they feel take precedence over the New Jersey transit planes or trains, you can get stuck on a New Jersey transit train for long periods of time. So add to that they are expecting four times as many crowds just for one game at MetLife, which holds 80,000 fans, than they do for a typical peak commuter rail experience. So that means the trains on two particular days will already be extremely crowded. I believe it's on June 22nd and the 30th. Those are going to be peak hours for people trying to get to MetLife

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

and people also trying to get to

[Kennedy]

and from work on NJ Transit, which

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

you are going to be so hosed.

[Kennedy]

And then if you're trying to take

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

a commuter bus from Secaucus, you're going to get stuck in bottleneck traffic.

[Kennedy]

Because even though we have had years

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

to prepare for this, never, never overestimate public officials, because they will. They will always underwhelm you, and they will display their incompetence at every turn. And then when something goes mediocre, at best, they will fall all over themselves, throwing themselves a parade and patting themselves on the back for what they already should have done in the first place. And, you know, that's what you've seen from Zoran Mamdani and New York's our governor, Kathy Hochul.

[Kennedy]

So the mayor and the governor are

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

just congratulating themselves for the World cup excellence, which hasn't even happened. Like, there's so many ways that people could have a very sticky and tricky time visiting this part of the country and these geographically specific games in our region, and it hasn't even started yet.

[Kennedy]

You know, we got a couple days

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

until people really arrive and get going here.

[Kennedy]

Don't go anywhere more. Kennedy Saves the world right after this.

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[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

So what they're telling New Jersey commuters is during the World cup, especially during the matches at the Meadowlands, please stay home, please work from home. And for people who work in grocery stores and hospitals, that is very prohibitive and difficult for them to stay home

[Kennedy]

when they need to be at their workplaces.

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

If you are stacking boxes or performing surgery, all of that becomes super, super hard.

[Kennedy]

But they don't care.

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

There will be some real challenges. And this will be interesting because even though Los Angeles has hosted the Olympics, this will be a big test for all of these different cities to see, you know, who does it best and who strands their passengers. Because that's what happened in 2014 with the Super Bowl. You know, people trying to get in and out of MetLife. They were stranded for hours and that was really cold. And here we don't exactly know what the weather's going to be in the coming weeks, but it can get really, really hot. You know, you can reach triple digits here if we have an uncomfortable heat wave. And can you imagine being stuck on a train with a bunch of Germans, a bunch of sweaty, stinky, anti deodorant Germans who, you know already in their country, they, they hate ice and they hate refrigeration and air conditioning. Oh, those trains I take, take a mask now. Just pretend that it's hantavirus. Coming out of their armpits because that is the only way you are going to salvage your sanity from the stench which will be absolutely real and aggressive. So still come to New York, come to New Jersey. It's going to be great. It just, you're going to have to have a lot of patience and you will have to execute more planning than you would for most sporting events. I went to the super bowl in Miami with my stepdad in, in 2020 and we luckily took cash with us and we went to the Uber line which was like three hours long in

[Kennedy]

terms of the wait time to actually

[Co-host or Guest Commentator]

get an Uber and we went to the front of line and paid someone a bunch of money to drop us at our hotel and they did because there's still cool people out there. You're going to have to get crafty. You're going to have to get creative and that does not mean throwing your sketchers on your step in sketchers and walking over the GWB because it's, it's not going to get you to MetLife might get you killed. That kind of sucks. That puts a damper on your experience. But there is still so much to look forward to and I believe that solutions can be had and merriment will be made despite the Germans and end because the United States going to be the best World cup hosts ever. And there's a really funny guy named Freddy who is, he is cataloging his fast food culinary experiences in the US as a World cup fan. So you got to find that online and hey man, find me if you're here and let's high five. I'm ready for it. This has been Kennedy Saves the World. It all starts tomorrow. I'm Kennedy.

[Kennedy]

Listen. Ad free. With a Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon prime, members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon Music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network.

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