FIFA announces World Cup stadium rule change that has left fans furious

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Martin Macdonald | Writer

Content writer covering football, formula 1 and movies

In a move that has angered travelling fans, FIFA have decided to ban the use of water bottles inside World Cup stadiums this summer.

Previously, FIFA permitted that "empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles, up to (1 litre in) capacity, may be brought into the stadium."

However, just over one week before the 2026 World Cup is set to commence, they have changed their mind and fans will now no longer be allowed to bring bottles into stadiums, no matter the size. FIFA's reasoning is that they want to increase player safety by limiting the amount of potential missiles that can be thrown onto the pitch.

"FIFA is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers, and staff," the organisation said in a statement.

Instead, fans will be asked to buy water inside the stadium which raised concerns over prices, as FIFA has already shocked supporters with the price of match tickets this summer. However, football's governing body insists that they will not go above their normal prices.

The news comes as a blow to plenty of fans who are already concerned about the heat this summer. In southern US states and northern Mexico, average daytime highs usually sit in the low to mid-30s Celsius and can climb to around 40C during hotter periods.

FIFA has looked to combat this by ordering mandatory cooling breaks for players, one per half, while the benches for coaches and subs will be cooled.

An open letter from 20 world-leading scientists determined that FIFA's current protocols were inadequate and that players and fans run the real risk of heat exposure during games this summer.

The open letter partly states:

"Player health and safety must remain the non-negotiable foundation of football governance and the heat risks for the upcoming World Cup make this question more urgent than ever. We ask if FIFA will commit to evaluating and updating its guidelines in accordance with the best practice and science, and in line with its stated prioritising of player safety?"

FIFA said it had a heat plan in place for the tournament, based on changing conditions rather than a fixed approach.

It said meteorological experts will monitor the weather centrally and in each host city, using WBGT and heat index data to help guide decisions. WBGT is wet-bulb globe temperature. It’s a heat-stress measure that combines air temperature, humidity, wind speed and sunlight to show how hard conditions are on the human body.

"FIFA works closely with each host city committee and local authorities on heat mitigation factors for fans travelling to the stadium, which can include resources such as misting stations, fans, hydration stations, cooling tents and more around the stadium footprint," the governing body said.

"Inside the stadium footprint, pricing for water bottles for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will remain consistent with other events held at each stadium."

Fans are, naturally, annoyed at the decision, especially considering the free water bottles was a key part of the communication between FIFA and fan groups pre-tournament.

The Free Lions England fans' group called the move a "strange, late change".

In a statement posted on X, they added: "In all of our discussions, free water availability in stadiums was a key one and we were assured by Fifa that this would be the case and that fans will have the ability to bring their own water bottle.

"Naturally, the immediate thought from supporters is this is just the latest money-grab. For how hot the stadiums will be, many in open air, just let fans bring a bottle if they want to.

"We hope the water fountains in stadiums will still be free, hopefully you aren't charged in the queue!"