Off The Pitch Gossips
“Just another money grab”: Fans slam FIFA’s reusable bottle ban at World Cup 2026
Last Updated on 4 June 2026
The 2026 World Cup was already pushing fans to their limits. Group-stage tickets have exceeded $4,000, and final tickets have surpassed $10,000 thanks to FIFA’s dynamic pricing model.
Transit costs have skyrocketed too with New Jersey Transit charging over $100 for a round-trip rail ticket to MetLife Stadium alone. For many supporters, attending this tournament was already a financial stretch.
Now, FIFA has added insult to injury to World Cup match-going fans.
FIFA bans reusable bottles in the World Cup – During a summer heatwave
Fans at the 2026 World Cup cannot carry reusable water bottles into venues due to what FIFA calls safety concerns. This matters enormously given the conditions. North American summer temperatures are brutal.
FIFA has even scheduled fixed hydration breaks, one per half, for players during all World Cup games. Players get water breaks. Fans, however, must buy bottled water inside the stadium instead.
At last year’s Club World Cup in the United States, where fans complained of searing temperatures, bottled water cost between $4 and $6 per bottle. Over a 90-minute match, those costs add up fast.
“What’s next, sun screen ban?” Fans react to FIFA’s latest moneygrab scheme at the World Cup
The timing makes everything worse. As recently as last month, FIFA’s official stadium code of conduct explicitly permitted empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles up to one litre in capacity. Then, quietly, that changed.
Fans noticed immediately. Free water access had been a key discussion point and that FIFA had given assurances on it. Consequently, the reaction was swift.The Free Lions England supporters’ group reacted sharply.
Supporters branded it the latest in a series of moneygrabs from an organisation that has consistently prioritised revenue over fan welfare throughout. Between sky-high tickets and travel costs, and now this, FIFA is making it clear: the World Cup is not for ordinary fans.
