World Cup 2026 fans' chief warns of ticketing chaos risks

Fifa's lack of control over ticketing and fan segregation at the 2026 World Cup raises significant safety concerns.

Fan segregation concern grows The head of Football Supporters Europe has raised alarms about the absence of traditional crowd separation at the 2026 World Cup, calling it 'a risk' and evidence that governing body Fifa has 'lost control of their ticketing'. Most group-stage matches so far have seen fans from competing nations mixing freely in stadiums, a dramatic shift from standard football tournament practices. Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, explained that the lack of enforced segregation creates heightened risks when supporters from one team end up embedded within rival supporters' sections. 'The absence of segregation is not normal for a tournament like this,' he stated. ## Ticketing system under scrutiny Evain highlighted the dangers posed by Fifa's relaxed approach to ticket distribution, particularly through resale platforms. 'What is worrying is that Fifa doesn't really know who has tickets here and there.. by pushing so much for people to buy tickets and re-sell them,' he said. The executive director warned that the probability of fans from one nation finding themselves surrounded by rival supporters has never been higher. During Sunday's match in Dallas between Japan and the Netherlands, BBC Sport observed groups of supporters from both teams intermingling throughout the venue. ## Fifa responds to ticketing criticism In response to concerns about ticket oversight, officials pointed to existing safeguards. They noted that 8% of tickets for each match are ring-fenced for Participating Member Associations' supporters, a policy consistent with past tournaments. However, these measures have failed to prevent the current lack of segregation. Fifa representatives maintained that this allocation system aligns with historical precedents, though critics argue it does little to address the new challenges emerging in 2026. ## Flags and symbols policy confusion Evain also expressed frustration over inconsistent rules regarding flags and banners inside stadiums. He cited Sunday's Dallas match as an example where fans were reportedly prevented from displaying national flags, a restriction he described as 'inconsistent with most Fifa rules and regulations.' The executive director compared the enforcement to policies typically seen at NFL games rather than standard World Cup protocols. ## Inconsistent rule enforcement exposed The Dallas incident highlighted broader issues with Fifa's communication of tournament regulations. 'At a lot of the stadiums it hasn't been a problem, so it's hard to understand what is the actual policy and what is improvisation by the staff locally with the rules that they now have,' Evain noted. He emphasized that most confiscated flags were non-political, adding to the confusion. 'The broader problem is that there's no consistent rule, and when you look at what Fifa has published, there's a code of conduct that is very broad but never clarified a lot of things,' he said. ## Fifa's official flag policy summarized According to tournament guidance provided by Fifa, 'small flags, banners and posters made of a fire-resistant material are allowed in the stadium.' Larger items and instruments require prior approval. The governing body explicitly prohibits flags 'that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature.' However, enforcement has varied dramatically between venues. In a separate development, a Los Angeles court ruled in Fifa's favor, banning Iran supporters from bringing pre-revolutionary flags into matches. ## Lack of clarity frustrates fans Evain argued that the inconsistent enforcement stems from Fifa's failure to clearly define permissible items before the tournament. 'It is just this lack of clarity that is hard. You should know the rules before leaving home, and that's not the case,' he said. He predicted a tournament where regulations would differ drastically between venues, stating, 'What we are probably looking at is a tournament where the rules are going to be extremely different from one venue to another - which is not how it should be.' The executive director concluded that Fifa's inability to implement uniform standards had led to improvisation by local staff, often defaulting to non-football event protocols.