Germany's players have stepped in to cover the cost of transporting 600 fans by bus from New York to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the side face Ecuador in their final World Cup Group E fixture on 25 June.

The gesture comes amid widespread frustration over transport pricing at the tournament. Train tickets between central New York and the New Jersey venue — ordinarily priced at $12.90 (£9.50) — were inflated to $150 for the World Cup before being brought down to $98. Shuttle bus fares followed a similar pattern, initially set at $80 before dropping to $20.

The New Jersey governor has attributed the elevated prices to FIFA's refusal to subsidise transport costs at the tournament — a stark contrast to the free fan travel provided at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar.

Kimmich leads the way

The German Football Association confirmed the initiative in an official statement. "In light of the high cost of bus and train travel in New York during the World Cup, the German national team players have organised free transport to the final group match for 600 fans," the DFB said.

"Captain Joshua Kimmich and his team-mates are covering the cost of buses to take supporters from New York to the arena in New Jersey for the match against Ecuador."

A promise broken

When the United States was awarded hosting rights, it committed to providing free fan transport as part of its 2018 host agreement with FIFA. However, a revision to that agreement struck in 2023 shifted the policy, allowing organisers to charge fans the cost-value of travel rather than absorbing the expense themselves.

With official transport remaining expensive for many supporters, Germany's squad have taken it upon themselves to bridge the gap — ensuring at least 600 of their fans can make the journey to cheer them on.