EXPLAINER
Football fans in the US have criticised FIFA and local organisers over a move to ban tailgating at World Cup games.
Football fans have a new bone to pick with FIFA ahead of the World Cup. This time, it’s over a reported restriction on tailgating at World Cup venues in the United States, one of the three cohost nations for the biggest sporting event in the world.
The sport’s global governing body has already come under fire for exorbitant ticket prices and inflated fares in host cities. It has also been urged to call upon US President Donald Trump to ensure the safety of fans and keep US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents away from the stadiums during the World Cup.
Mexico and Canada are cohosting the tournament, but it is the US that accounts for nearly two-thirds of the 16 host cities across North America, which will be the venues for 78 of the 104 games.
So, what exactly is tailgating, and has FIFA really banned the beloved American tradition?
Here’s what we know about the tailgating row at the World Cup:
While the term “tailgating” is used to describe the act of one vehicle driving too closely behind another, it has an entirely different meaning in US sports culture.
In the context of US sports, tailgating is a pre-game social event that sees fans of a team park their cars outside the stadium hosting the game. The supporters then gather around these parked cars to socialise by drinking, eating, and often cooking on site while they soak in the match-day atmosphere despite not being inside the venue.
It can often begin several hours before the start of action inside the stadium. The culture is most common during National Football League (NFL) matches and is especially popular among fans of American football.
Across the pond, in the United Kingdom, tailgating refers to illegally entering stadiums by closely following ticket holders through the turnstile. It is now a punishable offence.
Football fans on social media were in uproar earlier this week following reports in US media that FIFA had banned tailgating before World Cup matches at major stadiums.
FIFA countered these reports, carried by CBS News, NBC Boston and WCVB Boston, by issuing a statement on Wednesday saying that it “does not have a formal policy that restricts tailgating”.
However, FIFA said that site-specific restrictions may be imposed in alignment with host city public safety authorities in certain venues based on local regulations, and that additional fan information for all World Cup 2026 matches will be communicated in advance of the tournament.
In an attempt to introduce the concept of tailgating to global football fans, US-based supporters have taken to social media to explain how it is closely linked to the match-day experience.
In some cities, including Philadelphia, fans believe there’s no stopping the tailgating parties.
“FIFA doesn’t understand that you physically cannot stop Philadelphians from tailgating,” one fan wrote on X.
Others quipped that tailgating is a quintessentially American experience, which global fans coming to the US would want to enjoy.
Fans have also posted photos and videos of supporters from different countries enjoying the experience outside US stadiums during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
There’s no clear answer to this yet.
During a World Cup, FIFA takes over the control of stadiums and works with local organising committees to carry out security and logistical operations on match days.
FIFA requires all stadiums being used for major tournaments to have two “secure perimeters”. The guidelines state that the “main purpose of the outer perimeter is security”, while the inner perimeter is for final ticket checks and authentication.
Where the “outer perimeter” is demarcated at each stadium depends on where it’s located, car parking space, and how people travel to and from the venue. It ensures that “no unauthorised persons are admitted to the surrounding environment of the stadium building”.
“Secondly, it can create a safe distance between the stadium building as a crowded space and any potential threat or attack,” according to the guidelines.
As in previous tournaments, local organisers and authorities are expected to decide whether activities such as tailgating will be allowed, and these decisions may not be made public until much closer to the tournament.
However, the Boston organising committee has clearly stated, in a statement on its website, that tailgating “is not permitted for these events”.
In a move to restrict ambush marketing for brands not associated with FIFA, the governing body has changed stadium names for all venues to match with the host city.
The USA will open their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 at the SoFi Stadium, to be renamed the Los Angeles Stadium, in Inglewood, California.
The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, to be renamed the New York New Jersey Stadium, will host the final on July 19.
The other World Cup stadiums in the US are:
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