FIFA has amended its stadium code of conduct to prohibit reusable water bottles, cups, jars, and cans at all World Cup venues, issuing the directive just seven days before the tournament’s opening match. The prohibition reverses guidelines that previously permitted empty transparent reusable plastic containers up to one liter in capacity.
“Fifa is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers, and staff,” the organization said in a statement. FIFA stated that the ban on solid containers lowers the risk of injury caused by fans throwing missiles into the stands. Under the revised policy, spectators may purchase water inside the stadiums, and FIFA promised that pricing will remain consistent with standard rates for other events held at each venue.
The late reversal has drawn sharp criticism from fan advocacy groups. England’s Free Lions supporters’ organization described the move as a “strange, late change” and noted that fans had been assured in prior talks that free water availability would be guaranteed. “Naturally, the immediate thought from supporters is this is just the latest money-grab,” the group wrote on X. “For how hot the stadiums will be… just let fans bring a bottle if they want to.” The group added that it hopes stadium water fountains will remain free of charge.
Public health experts have warned that the ban exacerbates heat risks for ordinary spectators. Ollie Jay, a professor of heat and health at the University of Sydney, stated that removing free water access “will clearly heighten the risk of heat-related health incidents.” Jay noted that while FIFA has introduced three-minute hydration breaks for athletes during each half, the general public faces a substantially different thermal burden.
“If you look at the athlete population, all of them are very fit,” Jay said. “Whereas if you think about the spectators, you’ve got a broad range of different people that will be attending, from young kids to elderly people, people with chronic diseases, people taking different types of medications — all of which results in different levels of heat sensitivity.” He added that the average spectator is likely less resilient to extreme conditions than professionally conditioned athletes and could arrive at venues already dehydrated from travel and ambient exposure.
Jay highlighted compounding environmental stressors inside the stadiums, including direct sunlight, high humidity, restricted airflow, and densely packed crowds. “The amount of heat stress that their body has to cope with could be quite significant,” he said. In May, Jay was among 20 experts who signed an open letter to FIFA warning that the body’s heat mitigation protocols are inadequate, as 14 of the 16 host venue cities are forecast to exceed dangerous temperature levels.
Dr. Theodore Keeping of Imperial College London, who co-authored a World Weather Attribution study on the tournament’s climate conditions, stressed the fundamental importance of hydration. “Allowing fair and equitable access to hydration is a basic first defence against the extreme heat risks climate change is bringing to this World Cup,” Keeping said.
Andrew Simms, of the New Weather Institute, accused FIFA of prioritizing commercial interests over safety. Simms described the tournament as “the most polluting World Cup ever, sponsored by one of the world’s biggest climate-polluting oil companies,” and said restricting water access “seems to be a reckless rejection of Fifa’s duty of care.”
The bottle ban compounds mounting frustrations among supporters regarding the escalating costs of attending the 2026 tournament. Fans have previously raised concerns about inflated train fares and what critics have termed “extortionate” ticket prices. The policy also mirrors restrictions enforced at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where a similar bottle ban was in place amidst extreme desert conditions.