Fans hoping to recreate the deafening soundtrack of the 2010 World Cup will have to leave their vuvuzelas at home.
FIFA has officially banned the iconic plastic horns and a range of other noise-making devices from all venues at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, introducing stricter stadium regulations as the tournament prepares for its largest edition ever across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The governing body's 35-page Stadium Code of Conduct prohibits vuvuzelas, whistles, air horns, loudspeakers and any device deemed excessively loud or disruptive. The rules will apply across all 16 World Cup stadiums during the month-long tournament.
The decision marks another chapter in the complicated legacy of the vuvuzela, a symbol of South African football culture that became one of the defining images and sounds of the 2010 World Cup.
From cultural icon to stadium ban
