FIFA issues statement as alleged ticketless fans attend England World Cup opener

Reports claimed that large numbers of fans allegedly bypassed security and entered AT&T Stadium without valid tickets before England’s World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia

FIFA has stated that it is not aware of any fans gaining unauthorised entry to England’s opening World Cup match against Croatia.

Eyewitness reports from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, suggested that a significant number of spectators had managed to bypass security and enter the stadium unchecked, reports the Mirror.

One onlooker told Mail Sport: “There were big gaps at the side of the ticket barriers and people just strolled through. There were volunteers who were basically old ladies and they weren’t stopping anyone.”

In response, a FIFA spokesperson said: “At this stage, we have no indication of fans entering the stadium without a valid match ticket for the game in question.”

The official attendance for the match was recorded as 70,389, slightly below the stadium’s confirmed capacity of 70,649, as stated by FIFA ahead of the tournament. Ticket pricing for the competition has been a contentious issue in the lead-up to the event.

The cheapest tickets available through England’s supporter travel scheme were initially priced at £198 for the Croatia match. However, following strong criticism from fans, FIFA pledged to make 10 per cent of tickets per match within this allocation available for 60 US dollars (£45).

Harry Kane’s brace propelled England to an exhilarating 4-2 victory over Croatia, marking a promising start to their World Cup campaign under Tuchel. The Group L opener at the Dallas Cowboys’ stunning AT&T Stadium was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride.

Kane’s early penalty was cancelled out by a fantastic strike from Martin Baturina, before the skipper equalled Gary Lineker’s World Cup goal record for England with a header from a Declan Rice corner.

Croatia managed to level the score again just before half-time through Petar Musa, prompting assistant Anthony Barry to criticise England’s “complicated and confusing” performance as Tuchel aimed to rally his squad.

Whatever was said in the dressing room clearly had an impact, as Jude Bellingham put the Euro 2024 finalists back in the lead within two minutes of the second half commencing.

Despite a stellar performance from Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who kept England at bay during their relentless onslaught, substitute Marcus Rashford clinched the win in the closing stages.