NJ: Rideshare users bore the brunt of World Cup’s opening-night travel mess. Organizers say the plan worked.

The World Cup’s opening night in New Jersey ended with hundreds of fans stranded outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford past midnight, wandering the grounds in search of rideshares that couldn’t reach them.

On Sunday, the organizers responsible for getting them home said the plan worked.

Uber, the local World Cup host committee and NJ Transit each framed Saturday’s result as a qualified success — while pointing in different directions to explain why fans were still waiting for rides three hours after Brazil and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw.

The host committee called its transportation efforts “very successful,” according to a source with knowledge of the planning, while acknowledging “some issues getting people back late.”

Uber spokesman Josh Gold said the night was “a great example of how major events can work when transportation options complement each other,” noting the company moved more than 6,500 people between rides and shuttle operations.

But the finger-pointing began just as quickly.

NJ Transit moved 21,578 fans by bus and rail in 90 minutes — a number the agency trumpeted on social media Saturday night but one that fell well short of its own target of up to 40,000 riders.

The source close to planning said NJ Transit proved its “efficiency” but said part of the reason for the clogged traffic was more people didn’t use the agency‘s rail or bus options and turned to other forms of transportation.

”Absolutely,” the source said when asked if the NJ Transit passenger shortfall created a domino effect. “The fact the host committee was able to move 16,000 people on school buses in and out of there because there was more congestion on the roads is pretty effective.”

The host committee pushed back on the characterization of the night as a transportation disaster, noting that the stranded fans numbered in the hundreds — a fraction of the roughly 80,000 in attendance.

But the scenes at the Meadowlands racetrack, which served as the designated rideshare pickup area, told a different story for the people living it.

Fans reported waiting more than an hour after drivers who accepted their rides couldn’t reach the pickup zone. By 10:15 p.m., stadium workers told fans that no more Ubers were being allowed into the area.

Gold, who had warned fans hours before kickoff that “Uber alone can’t accommodate the demand,” reiterated Sunday that public transit needs to remain the primary option.

“We’ve been clear for weeks,” he said. “Public transit must be the backbone of World Cup transportation and people should rely on it. That continues to be the case for Tuesday.”

State officials and organizers pushed for people to use public transit because, unlike other World Cup venues, MetLife is the only host stadium where FIFA has banned general parking.

Whether NJ Transit’s $98 round-trip ticket price contributed to the ridership shortfall remains an open question.

The planning source said it’s unclear if that’s the reason more people opted to drive or be driven to the stadium instead. The source noted that parking at the American Dream mega-mall next door was also expensive and rideshare surge pricing was in effect.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill said NJ Transit’s prices were needed because World Cup host cities are paying for transportation and she did not want taxpayers to foot the bill. She called on FIFA to cover it instead, but FIFA declined and warned NJ Transit’s prices would have a “chilling effect” on the tournament.

The more pressing question is what happens Tuesday, when France and Senegal are set to face off in second World Cup match at MetLife Stadium, with kickoff at 3 p.m. — dropping tens of thousands of fans into the Meadowlands during the evening rush hour.

A weekday game means more cars already on surrounding highways and fewer options for fans trying to time their travel around the congestion.

There were also reports Saturday night that a host committee school shuttle bus caught fire during the postgame period, which coincided with crowds in the area celebrating the Knicks’ NBA championship victory.

The planning source said they were working to confirm details but that no riders were injured.

Sherrill’s office deferred comment Sunday to NJ Transit.

NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith said the public transit system moved more than 21,000 people each way during Saturday’s match.

“The fans experienced safe, reliable and efficient service to and from the match,” Smith said in a statement sent to NJ.com Sunday afternoon. “Governor Sherrill deserves credit for her leadership in overseeing the execution of a robust transportation plan. As we prepare for future matches, we look forward to continuing to work with American Dream, the Host Committee and FIFA to encourage greater use of public transportation so that all mobility options function as intended.“

Smith added: “NJ TRANSIT remains fully prepared to transport up to tens of thousands of fans for every match, and continues to offer the quickest and most efficient option for reaching the stadium — approximately 35 minutes from Penn Station New York to the stadium gates.”

Another source with knowledge of the World Cup transportation planning defended NJ Transit’s handling of the event.

“The bottom line is: They moved more than 20,000 people on NJ Transit and moved them really efficiently,” the source said. “Hopefully, people recognize that as the games go forward and use transit more.”

Black-car drivers who want to return to pick up passengers for Cup games have to buy one of 500 parking spaces at American Dream.

“Post-match private vehicle pickups are not permitted because the FIFA World Cup 2026 at NYNJ (MetLife) Stadium is operating under a public transportation-first mobility plan designed to safely move nearly 78,000 fans,” said Natalie Hamilton, a host committee spokeswoman. “Allowing large volumes of private vehicles into the area after matches would create significant congestion and disrupt that plan.”

MetLife Stadium will host seven more World Cup matches over the next six weeks, including the July 19 final.

NJ.com staff writers Brent Johnson and Steve Politi contributed to this report.

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