CORAL GABLES, Fla (AP) — FIFA has made a late change of policy to bar World Cup fans from bringing refillable water bottles into the tournament’s 16 stadiums across North America including some with limited or no shade from the sun.The “Stadium Code of Conduct” update was criticized Thursday by an English fan group, which argued FIFA had given assurances on carrying empty plastic bottles to fill with freely available water at a tournament where heat and extreme weather are expected to be a factor.“Naturally, the immediate thought from supporters is this is just the latest money grab,” the Free Lions fan group said in a statement.Water, sodas and juices sold at World Cup stadiums are supplied exclusively by long-time FIFA sponsor Coca-Cola when the tournament starts next Thursday.FIFA’s stadium rules had stated that fans could bring in a transparent, reusable bottle up to one liter, or 33.8 oz. capacity.
The latest document dated Tuesday now states “for the avoidance of doubt, reusable water bottles may not be brought into the stadium.”“In all of our discussions,” the England fans’ group said, “free water availability in stadiums was a key one and we were assured by FIFA that this would be the case.”
