Fifa has been accused of prioritising revenue over fan safety after reversing its policy on reusable water bottles at World Cup stadiums. The governing body initially stated that empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles would be permitted, but later prohibited them, citing a need to “prevent risk and injury to players and attendees”.
The U-turn has angered supporters’ groups, particularly given the expected sweltering conditions at many venues. Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, called the ban a “real health risk”, noting that heatstroke incidents are becoming more common. “The more you complicate the access to water, the more the risk of people getting serious heatstroke and dehydration,” he said.
Evain criticised Fifa for prioritising revenue, describing it as “immoral” to profit from water when health is at risk. Fifa defended its decision, stating it is “prioritising safety and security of everyone involved”. The organisation noted that outside bottles are already prohibited at several venues for safety reasons.
Fans were allowed to take water bottles to the Club World Cup in the US last year, and Fifa had planned to allow the same for this year’s tournament. Evain questioned the security argument, saying, “If they allowed it last year and originally for this tournament, then I find the security argument a bit hard to believe.” He added that no prices for water inside stadiums have been published.
The England supporters’ group Free Lions expressed frustration on social media, asking, “What next? Sun cream banned and fans forced to buy it in stadiums?” The group highlighted the contradiction between Fifa’s “drinks breaks” for players and the ban on water bottles for fans.
