Concerns about lack of division at the 2026 World Cup: 'FIFA has lost control over ticket sales'

The chairman of supporters' organization Football Supporters Europe, Ronan Evain, expresses serious concerns about the lack of division between supporters during the 2026 World Cup. According to Evain, it is unique that fans from both countries sit together during group matches, which deviates from the usual policy at major international football tournaments.

Evain explains: "The lack of fan segregation is worrying at such a major tournament. Due to the enormous emphasis on reselling tickets, FIFA does not know exactly who sits where in the stadium." According to him, the high level of resale, including through external channels, increases the chance that fans of, for example, 'Team A' will end up among the supporters of 'Team B'. This creates additional risks in terms of safety and atmosphere, Evain told the BBC in Dallas.

A concrete example was seen during the recent group match between the Netherlands and Japan, where groups of Dutch fans and Japanese supporters were placed together in the stadium. Evain notes that mitigation measures are missing or unclear. "You can hope that supporters will exchange or change places among themselves, but FIFA cannot do much more at this stage, because they simply have no insight into the actual holders of the tickets."


FIFA emphasizes that for each match, 8% of tickets are reserved for official supporters of the participating countries, as established in the past. However, according to Evain, the open nature of ticket sales and extensive resale options make this division difficult to maintain in practice.

In addition, Evain says she is concerned about restrictions on traditions, such as taking flags to competitions. This was, for example, the case at the Netherlands - Japan match in Dallas, where fans were not allowed to show their flag or only to a limited extent. "This is not in accordance with previous FIFA rules and is more similar to the policy in place at American sporting events," Evain said. The stadium in Dallas will also be the setting for England's opening match against Croatia.

With a view to the rest of the tournament, Football Supporters Europe is calling for more clarity and better organization to ensure safety and experience for all fans.