With the World Cup just around the corner, FIFA has announced a ban on fans bringing reusable water bottles into all host stadiums. This change reverses the previous allowance of transparent, reusable bottles up to one litre, sparking frustration among supporters and local officials, especially as the tournament coincides with the summer heat.<\/p>\n
In Toronto, where BMO Field usually permits empty, non-glass bottles for events, city councillor Josh Matlow has voiced his concerns. He has reached out to Toronto\u2019s FIFA secretariat, urging them to challenge this policy. \u201cThey should be discussing this with us rather than just telling us,\u201d Matlow said. He emphasized the importance of ensuring fans have easy access to water during games held in temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius or higher, calling it \u201ca basic health and safety issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Climate experts warn that 2026 could be one of the hottest summers on record in Canada. In response, Mayor Olivia Chow criticized FIFA\u2019s stance as \u201ca pure money grab\u201d and expressed her intent to explore possible city interventions against the ban.<\/p>\n
While BMO Field typically allows empty reusable bottles, for the World Cup, fans will need to purchase bottled water or other non-alcoholic drinks from FIFA\u2019s official sponsor, Coca-Cola. Soccer fan Jobin George, who has tickets for two Toronto matches, is disappointed by the policy. Aiming to cut down on plastic waste, George always carries his own bottle and sees FIFA\u2019s ban as forcing fans to spend unnecessarily. \u201cYou already paid crazy money for the tickets. And then you\u2019re going to spend more on water. That\u2019s just crazy. It doesn\u2019t make sense. That\u2019s the least they can do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
FIFA defended the new rule, saying the ban is designed \u201cto prevent risk and injury to players and attendees.\u201d The organization is cooperating with host cities and local authorities to implement \u201cheat mitigation factors\u201d such as misting stations, cooling tents, and water stations near stadiums. However, all water at stadiums will be sold at prices \u201cconsistent with other events held at each stadium.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Toronto\u2019s BMO Field will still provide free water through drinking fountains located in four sections of the 45,000-capacity stadium, the ban on reusable bottles raises environmental concerns. Emily Alfred, a waste campaigner with the Toronto Environmental Alliance, pointed out the impact on plastic waste. She estimates that if every fan buys just one bottle per match in Toronto, it could mean over 250,000 single-use bottles across six games. \u201cIt\u2019s really disappointing to think about the amount of waste that\u2019s coming from this,\u201d Alfred said.<\/p>\n
Critics also highlight the steep ticket prices, which range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Matlow called it unfair that fans, many of whom have saved for years to attend the event, now face additional costs for basic necessities. \u201cThese are regular people who are saving to finally see something that\u2019s important to them, to have that once-in-a-lifetime experience in their own city, and now they\u2019re going to be told to spend more money on a Coca-Cola product. That\u2019s just wrong,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As the World Cup kicks off next week, fans must prepare to navigate both the heat and FIFA\u2019s new water bottle restrictions inside the stadiums.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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