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The International Football Federation (FIFA) has once again revised its regulations concerning spectators attending the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA has decided that fans will no longer be allowed to bring their own drinking water bottles into the stadium.

The decision was made for safety reasons, both for the players and for the spectators themselves.

This change comes only about three weeks after FIFA released the initial set of rules for the 2026 World Cup spectators.

In the earlier version, fans were still permitted to bring their own bottled water into the venue.

Previously, FIFA stated, “To avoid confusion, empty, transparent, and reusable plastic bottles with a capacity of up to 1 litre are allowed to be brought into the stadium.”

However, according to The Athletic, FIFA has since informed World Cup ticket holders that the rule has been updated.

The new regulation, issued around 2 June, removes the earlier clause that allowed empty and reusable plastic bottles.

The updated rule now reads: “To avoid confusion, reusable water bottles may not be brought into the stadium,” which will be enforced during the tournament.

This ban on reusable plastic bottles is expected to stir controversy among fans.

The move means spectators will no longer be able to refill their bottles at designated drinking taps or water dispensers inside the stadiums.

Previously, bringing personal bottles proved useful during the FIFA Club World Cup held in the United States in 2025, where spectators were allowed to refill their bottles freely.

At that time, fans could save between approximately Rp50,000 and Rp70,000 by refilling their own bottles instead of purchasing new drinks.

As of now, FIFA has not yet announced the prices for bottled water or beverages that will be sold inside the stadiums.

It is likely that FIFA will promote beverages from official tournament sponsors during the event.

Festive Welcoming of the World Cup

As the 2026 World Cup kickoff draws closer, excitement is building among fans around the world, including in Indonesia.

In the Mapili District of Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi, residents have started to decorate their streets with flags representing various participating nations.

Locals are using bamboo poles, approximately 20 metres long, to display the flags along the roadside.

Each household has chosen a different national flag to support their favourite team in the four-yearly tournament.

Flags of Argentina, Germany, Spain, France, and Brazil have already been raised proudly.

“I put up the German flag because I’ve always supported Die Mannschaft in every World Cup,” said a resident named Muslim, as quoted by Tribun-Sulbar.com.

He added that the enthusiasm among residents displaying their favourite teams’ flags has been growing rapidly.

Muslim mentioned that the act of putting up national flags symbolizes their hopes that their chosen teams will emerge as champions.

“Nowadays, discussions at coffee shops are all about which country is the strongest and who will end up as the winner,” Muslim added.