At the 2026 World Cup, fans of opposing teams have been sitting side by side in stadiums, while players and coaches were initially banned from speaking Spanish at press conferences—two issues that have sparked concern and controversy. The head of fan group Football Supporters Europe, Ronan Evain, told BBC Sport that the lack of fan segregation is "a risk" and shows Fifa has "lost control of their ticketing." Meanwhile, a ban on speaking Spanish at official media appearances triggered a wave of fury before Fifa made a dramatic U-turn just days into the tournament.
At most group games so far, fans of both countries have been mingling at venues, in stark contrast to normal practice in football. Evain, speaking in Dallas where BBC Sport saw Dutch and Japanese fans mixed together, said: "The absence of segregation is not normal for a tournament like this." He warned that because Fifa has pushed ticket sales and resales heavily, "the possibility—or the risk—to have fans from 'Team A' in the middle of the crowd of 'Team B' is stronger than ever before." Fifa sources referred BBC Sport to the fact that ring-fenced allocations include tickets reserved for supporters of participating member associations, who receive 8% of tickets for each match, and said this is in line with previous tournaments. Evain also expressed concern that some fans were prevented from bringing flags into the Dallas Stadium, calling the policy inconsistent with Fifa rules and previous tournaments.
“Explains the 2026 World Cup's fan segregation risks and Spanish language ban U-turn.”
Separately, a row erupted over the weekend when stars including Brazil's Vinicius Junior and Morocco's Achraf Hakimi were compelled to field questions in English, despite being fluent Spanish speakers. In Hakimi's case, the PSG right-back was poised to respond to a question from a Mexican journalist when the reporter was abruptly cut off by a Fifa official and instructed to switch to English. The situation sparked outrage on social media and among language campaigners, who highlighted the absurdity of marginalising Spanish at a World Cup co-hosted by Mexico and the United States—nations home to tens of millions of native Spanish speakers. Fifa initially maintained there was no blanket ban, citing a shortage of translation services. But under updated regulations announced on Monday, journalists are now permitted to pose questions in Spanish at any official World Cup press conference, and players and coaches are free to answer in Spanish regardless of which nations are contesting the match. Translation services will also be made available throughout.
For UK readers, these issues matter because England fans attending matches—such as England's opening game against Croatia in Dallas—may face confusion over stadium rules on flags and segregation. The lack of segregation raises safety concerns, as mixed crowds could lead to clashes or uncomfortable situations. The language controversy highlights the challenges of hosting a global tournament in a country with multiple widely-spoken languages. As Evain noted, there is very little Fifa can do at this stage because they don't know who owns the tickets, and the risk of fan conflict remains.
Q: Why is fan segregation not enforced at the 2026 World Cup? Fifa has sold tickets without strict segregation, allowing fans of opposing teams to sit together. The head of Football Supporters Europe says Fifa has "lost control of their ticketing" due to heavy resale, making it hard to know where fans of each team are seated.
Q: Why were Spanish speakers banned from press conferences? Fifa initially restricted media appearances to English and the official languages of the two competing teams, citing a shortage of translation services. This sparked outrage at a tournament co-hosted by Mexico and the US, where millions speak Spanish.
Q: What did Fifa do to fix the Spanish ban? Fifa made a U-turn on Monday, allowing journalists to ask questions in Spanish at any official press conference and permitting players and coaches to answer in Spanish regardless of the match. Translation services will be provided.
What happens next is uncertain. The segregation issue may persist throughout the tournament unless Fifa takes further mitigation measures. The flag policy at Dallas Stadium remains unclear, and Evain said it's "hard to understand what is the actual policy." England fans will be watching closely as their team plays in that venue. The Spanish language decision has been resolved for now, but the broader concerns about Fifa's control over the tournament are likely to continue.