FIFA eases World Cup water bottle ban after backlash

FIFA has partially reversed its decision to prohibit spectators from bringing water bottles into stadiums during the 2026 World Cup following widespread criticism from supporters' groups and political leaders.

The governing body announced on Friday that "all fans will be permitted to bring in one, soft, plastic, 20 ounces (590ml), factory sealed disposable water bottle into any FIFA World Cup 2026 match in the USA and Canada."

However, FIFA confirmed that "fans will not be permitted to bring in hard sided, reusable water bottles due to safety and security reasons."

The revised policy comes just days after FIFA updated its stadium regulations to ban reusable water bottles altogether.

Previous tournament guidelines had permitted spectators to bring transparent refillable bottles with a capacity of up to one litre.

In a statement issued on Thursday, FIFA defended the original restriction, saying the measure was introduced "to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees."

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

The decision sparked significant criticism, particularly given forecasts of temperatures exceeding 90°F (32°C) in several host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico during the tournament's 104 matches.

English supporters' group Free Lions questioned the motivation behind the ban, stating: "Naturally, the immediate thought from supporters is this is just the latest money grab."

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani also expressed concern, saying the ban on refillable bottles was "concerning because the heat that we are talking about is not just the heat that the players are in, it is also the heat that spectators are going to be subjected to for arguably a longer period of time."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the decision as "wrong" and said it was "about making money."