FIFA has decided to reverse its World Cup water ban after receiving backlash from fan groups and leading politicians. FIFA announced a new policy Friday in a post on social media, saying “all fans will be permitted to bring in one, soft, plastic, 20 ounces (590ml), factory sealed disposable water bottle into any FIFA World Cup 2026 match in the USA and Canada.”

However, it added that “fans will not be permitted to bring in hard sided, reusable water bottles due to safety and security reasons.”

Initially, the governing body had a rule in place, which allowed fans to carry a transparent, reusable bottle up to 1 liter, or 33.8-ounce capacity. But an update to the document dated Tuesday stated that “for the avoidance of doubt, reusable water bottles may not be brought into the stadium.”

On Thursday, FIFA said in a statement that they had banned the water bottles for the safety of players and attendees.

“FIFA is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers, and staff,” it said.

However, with temperatures in the USA, Mexico and Canada, expected to be hovering on the high side, this decision was widely criticised.

“Naturally, the immediate thought from supporters is this is just the latest money grab,” English fan group the Free Lions said in a statement.

Furthermore, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani told The Athletic the ban on refillable water bottles was “concerning because the heat that we are talking about is not just the heat that the players are in, it is also the heat that spectators are going to be subjected to for arguably a longer period of time.”

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the decision was “wrong” and was “about making money.”