Remember to drink water in the heat! This is advice that is repeated, across national borders. This summer, this advice was supposed to cost the World Cup audience “half a fortune”. Because in the World Cup arenas, it was supposed to be forbidden to bring water bottles into the stadium. To avoid dehydration, you as an audience member had to pay “half a fortune”. Now, of course, FIFA is not voluntarily making a U-turn.
In what can almost be described as a soap opera, the international football federation Fifa has wavered several times on the issue of portable water bottles for the public in the run-up to the World Cup. Originally, the ticket conditions said that all spectators during the World Championships were allowed to bring a plastic bottle with a maximum of one liter into this summer’s World Cup arena. Fifa then reversed itself and decided to no longer allow the possession of water bottles.
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FIFA turns around – World Cup spectators are allowed to bring their own water bottles
Now the federation has turned around again. On Saturday night, Fifa announced in a post on social media that they want to “clarify the conditions for water bottles”. A soft, factory-sealed disposable plastic water bottle of no more than 590 milliliters can be brought into the World Cup stadiums, Fifa announces.
Fifa makes it clear that the newly adapted rules will apply in the United States and Canada, but does not mention Mexico. It is therefore unclear whether it is still forbidden to bring water bottles into the arena of the last host nation.
The announcement comes after a storm of criticism was directed at Fifa in connection with the ban on water bottles. Among others, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Toronto’s ditto Olivia Chow have been among the critics.
Chow called Fifa’s ban on water bottles “pure deception” as supporters would instead be forced to buy water bottles at expensive prices at stadiums instead of being able to bring their own water, on match days when temperatures can rise well above 30 degrees.
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During the Club World Cup in the United States last summer, players and supporters felt worried about the extreme heat that was around them. At that time, a bottle of water cost between 4-6 dollars to buy at the arena. We guess the price would be jacked up even further during World Cup matches.
