World Cup Fans Prohibited from Carrying Water Bottles into Stadiums

FIFA has banned fans from bringing refillable water bottles into World Cup stadiums following a last-minute change to its tournament policy, a move that will require supporters to purchase bottled water inside venues, according to a report by The Athletic.

Until last month, FIFA’s official stadium code of conduct stated that spectators could bring empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles with a capacity of up to one litre into stadiums. However, the governing body has since revised the guidelines to explicitly prohibit refillable bottles.

“For the avoidance of doubt, reusable water bottles may not be brought into the stadium,” the updated code of conduct states.

In a statement to AFP, a FIFA spokesperson said the decision was made for safety reasons, noting that several World Cup venues already enforced similar restrictions.

“FIFA is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff,” the spokesperson said.

“FIFA made the decision to prohibit bottles to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees.

“Outside bottles are already prohibited at several of these venues for safety considerations, and FIFA is applying this consideration across its tournament stadiums.”

FIFA said fans would still have access to hydration support through misting stations, cooling tents and water refill stations located around stadium premises.

The governing body added that bottled water sold inside venues would be priced in line with rates charged during other events hosted at the same stadiums.

The policy change comes despite warnings from experts about the potential health risks posed by extreme heat during the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

A report published last month by the World Weather Attribution research group estimated that 26 of the tournament’s 104 matches could be played in conditions where the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) exceeds 26 degrees Celsius.

WBGT is a widely used measure of heat stress that takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed and sunlight exposure.

Similar restrictions were in place during last year’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, where fans also complained about intense heat and were not allowed to bring water bottles into stadiums.