World Cup 2026: Lack of fan segregation in stadiums a risk, supporters’ groups say

Ivain also said he was concerned that some fans were prevented from bringing flags into Dallas Stadium for Sunday’s game.

The venue will host England’s opening game against Croatia on Wednesday.

“You’re not really allowed to bring a flag, or at least display it, which is not in line with most FIFA rules and regulations, but what was allowed in previous tournaments. It seems to be closer to what’s there for NFL games,” he said.

“In many stadiums this has not been an issue, so it is difficult to understand what the actual policy is and what is improvisation by staff locally with the rules they have now.

“Most of the flags were removed by the staff. The wider problem – and I think this is a demonstration of how little control FIFA has over this tournament – is that there are no consistent rules, and when you look at what FIFA has published, there is a code of conduct that is very broad.

“But it never clarified a lot of things, like what kind of symbols are allowed and not allowed? Are you able to bring a flag from your region or city or club? A lot of that is still up in the air, and I think there’s a bit of learning by the venues, but again, inconsistency.”

in between Tournament guide for fans, outsiderFIFA states that “small flags, banners and posters made of fire-resistant material are permitted in stadiums. Larger flags, banners, posters or devices must be approved in advance.”

It also prohibits flags “of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature”.

On Monday, FIFA won a court hearing in Los Angeles that would mean Iranian fans are banned from carrying the pre-revolutionary flag into their matches, classifying it as a political symbol. However, Ivain said some non-political flags were also confiscated from fans by stadium workers.

“Only the lack of clarity is difficult. You should know the rules before you leave home, and this is not the case”, he said.

“The main problem at this stage is the absence of rules. It’s very unclear what is allowed in the stadium. What you can bring, what you can’t bring. Your flag, your bag, your drums, your banner”, he said.

“We’re probably looking at a tournament where the rules are going to be wildly different from one venue to another – which is not how it should be.

“FIFA appears to have failed to enforce the rules across the board. And from what we saw in Dallas, it appears that the staff’s understanding of tournament rules has more to do with what is generally allowed in the NFL game than the code of conduct implemented by FIFA.”

FIFA has been contacted for comment.