With less than a week before the start of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA made a controversial change to its water-bottle policy. After indicating fans would be allowed to bring reusable water bottles into events, FIFA reversed course, telling ticket holders they are “no longer permitted.”
In an interview with The Athletic, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would follow up with FIFA over that change, calling it “concerning.”
“It’s concerning. It’s concerning because the heat we’re talking about is not just heat that the players are playing under. It’s also the heat that spectators are going to be subjected to for arguably a longer period of time, as they will be there before the game starts and after the game finishes.
“And so that is something we are going to follow up on to better understand what the rationale is. Because we don’t want anyone to be skimping on water because of the cost of the water at the stadium if they otherwise would be drinking it. We want to make it easy to have some water.”
Matches at MetLife Stadium are expected to start June 13 and will run through July 19. Extreme temperatures are expected during games, per NPR, leading to concerns about heat-related illnesses.
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Those temperatures won’t just be limited to New York and New Jersey. Temperatures across all venues are expected to be high, causing Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to also weigh in on the policy change.
Chow called it a “pure money grab,” and urged FIFA to hand out free water bottles to fans as a way to make up for the last-minute change.
In a statement to The Athletic on Thursday, FIFA said the change was made for “safety and security” reasons. The organization said there will be “additional heat mitigation and alternative hydration strategies at FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums.”
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However, FIFA pivoted slightly on Friday, announcing that each fan wil be able to bring one sealed disposable water bottle into stadiums in the U.S. and Canada.
“I’m glad that FIFA decided to reverse this policy and allow water bottles to be brought into World Cup games,” Mamdani told The Athletic in a new statement on Friday. “No one should have to fear being priced out of being hydrated, especially fans who are often waiting for hours before a game in extreme heat.”
Mamdani — an avid soccer supporter and Arsenal fan — has already had productive talks with FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Amid concerns of rising ticket costs, Mamdani was able to secure 1,000 $50 tickets for the event, which were sold to New Yorkers as part of a lottery system. Those tickets include free bus trips to and from the stadium.
While Mamdani has had success negotiating with FIFA in the past, it’s unclear whether he can convince the organization to once again change course on its water-bottle policy. For now, fans who want water at games can purchase it from venues inside the stadium, with profits of those sales benefitting FIFA and its affiliates.
