Fifa reusable – Fifa has banned reusable water bottles from World Cup stadiums, reversing earlier guidance that empty, transparent reusable bottles would be allowed. Supporters argue the move creates a health risk in venues expecting sweltering conditions, while Fifa says it
Stadium doors will open under sweltering conditions for many World Cup fans—and for supporters, the latest change feels like an avoidable squeeze on something as basic as water.
Fifa has been accused of putting revenue ahead of fan health after banning reusable water bottles from being taken into World Cup stadiums. The governing body also made what supporters described as a late reversal: it had previously said that empty. transparent. reusable plastic bottles would be permitted inside venues. before deciding to prohibit them. explaining the shift as a measure “to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees”.
Ronan Evain, the executive director of Football Supporters Europe, said the restriction is dangerous. “It’s a real health risk,” Evain said. He pointed to what he described as growing incidents across Europe. saying. “In Europe we see people collapsing in the stands from heatstroke more and more often.” Evain called it “a very simple mathematics issue. ” arguing that “the more you complicate the access to water. the more the risk of people getting serious heatstroke and dehydration.”.
He added that supporters believe safety is being treated as secondary. “That shows the priority seems to be, again, to generate revenues,” Evain said. “How immoral it is to [profit from] water in this situation when people’s health is at risk. I find this appalling.”
Fifa rejected the charge. The organization said it was “prioritising safety and security of everyone involved”. In a statement issued earlier in the dispute. Fifa said. “Fifa is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players. referees. fans. volunteers and staff. Fifa made the decision to prohibit bottles to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees.” It also said. “Outside bottles are already prohibited at several of these venues for safety considerations and Fifa is applying this consideration across its tournament stadiums.”.
Supporters’ anger has been sharpened by the tournament history and the lack of clear detail about what fans can do instead. Fans were allowed to take water bottles to games at the Club World Cup in the US last summer. and Fifa had planned for that same approach to apply this year in the US. Mexico and Canada. Evain argued that inconsistency undermines the safety explanation. “If they allowed it last year and originally for this tournament then I find the security argument a bit hard to believe. ” he said.
He said the policy change also creates a new unknown for fans: water access and cost inside stadiums. “It shows water is unfortunately still seen as a commodity. but it’s not. it’s a matter of health. ” Evain said. He added. “We don’t know how expensive a bottle of water will be inside the stadium because no prices have been published.”.
Evain questioned what Fifa’s mitigation plan would be, given that the initial response to heat risk involved bottles. “Fifa explained previously that part of their response to the heat risk was the water bottles. So what does it mean now to take it away, and what mitigation measures are they taking?” he said. “It’s already a very expensive World Cup. People will look for alternatives or just not drink water when they should.”.
The England supporters’ group Free Lions echoed that frustration in a post on X. “What next? Sun cream banned and fans forced to buy it in stadiums? For all of the effort they are going to with ‘drinks breaks’ for the players, this is such a strange, late change.”
The dispute hinges on a stark mismatch between the kind of access fans say they need and the kind of restriction Fifa says it must enforce: Fifa has moved from allowing empty. transparent reusable plastic bottles to prohibiting them. while supporters point to heat conditions and what they see as an increasingly complicated path to staying hydrated.
Fifa World Cup reusable water bottles fan safety heatstroke Football Supporters Europe Ronan Evain Free Lions drinks breaks