A sentence nestled away on the Boston organising committee’s website outlining that FIFA had banned tailgating at the World Cup prompted widespread outrage online.
The host city stated the hugely popular pre-game social events will not be taking place at Gillette Stadium during the tournament, even though they are routinely held before the New England Patriots’ home NFL games.
In addition to Boston, tailgating will not be permitted at Lumen Field in Seattle due to its city centre location, with the pre-match gatherings also banned during the NFL season.
And the fact that Boston 26 attributed the decision to a “FIFA policy” led to the governing body being widely condemned for seemingly banning a hugely popular North American tradition.
However, that is not necessarily the case, even if FIFA has subsequently raised doubts about whether tailgating will be allowed, despite it being commonplace throughout the NFL season. All 11 venues that will be used for World Cup games in the U.S. are NFL stadiums.
The Athletic explains why there are concerns around tailgating — and whether FIFA really has banned it…
What has happened?
In short, a sentence on the Boston 26 website, outlining that tailgating will not be allowed at this summer’s World Cup, sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.
FIFA, world football’s governing body, bore the brunt of the anger as a tirade of social media posts vented anger towards the competition’s organisers for appearing to ban a popular pre-game social event in the United States.
Boston’s organising committee’s website made clear that tailgating, which is common when the Patriots play NFL games at Gillette Stadium, is “not permitted for these events per FIFA policy”.
This language used by Boston 26 on their website was subsequently updated and the reference to a “FIFA policy” has been removed.
What is tailgating?
They are pre-game social events in stadium parking lots before games across a range of North American sports, typically beginning many hours beforehand.
Fans essentially congregate around the boot of a car — known as a tailgate in the U.S. — and consume food and drink.
Although a relatively foreign concept in the United Kingdom and to football fans, it is an extremely popular — especially as far as NFL games are concerned — pre-match ritual in North America.
Tailgating is a hugely popular gameday tradition across U.S. sports (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Who is responsible for deciding whether it will be allowed?
FIFA sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, have said the governing body will work with local authorities to determine what is and isn’t safe before a decision is made on whether tailgating is allowed at each venue.
It is worth noting that FIFA has full control of the stadiums during the World Cup, with the local organising committee responsible for overseeing security operations.
Why could they be restricted?
Each host venue will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and myriad considerations will be taken into account before a decision is made.
These include the footprint of each stadium, car park space, how people travel to and from the venue, and its location. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, for example, is the opposite of Lumen Field in that it is surrounded by multiple parking lots.
Another important factor regarding the decision-making process is where the outer perimeter line is set, something that is outlined under the general stadium guidelines on the governing body’s website.
“The main purpose of an outer perimeter is security,” the guidelines read. “Firstly, 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.”
FIFA’s stadium guidelines go on to note that the “outer perimeter should be located a sufficient distance away from the inner perimeter” and the spacing between the inner and outer perimeter is “usually determined in conjunction with the relevant local authorities”.
Does that mean some venues may allow tailgating?
Because FIFA’s outer perimeter security line will likely cut into the surrounding parking lots of some venues, stadiums will not have the space they normally do on an NFL gameday, and therefore won’t be able to allow the pre-game social events at the World Cup.
But for other venues, that may not be such an issue.
This could ultimately result in some stadiums having the capacity and space to allow for tailgating, in line with safety and security requirements, and other venues being unable to host something they do week in, week out during the NFL season.
Full confirmation from FIFA and the local organising committees is yet to be released.
What has FIFA said?
After multiple posts on social media, including one from Polymarket, the prediction market company, went viral, FIFA started to bite back.
The governing body’s official media account began replying to several of the posts, highlighting it does not have a rule banning them.
FIFA does not have a formal policy that restricts tailgating (eating and drinking around parked cars in stadium areas).
However, site-specific restrictions may be imposed in alignment with host city public safety authorities in certain venues based on local regulations.…
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) April 15, 2026
“FIFA does not have a formal policy that restricts tailgating (eating and drinking around parked cars in stadium areas),” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement released to The Athletic.
“However, site-specific restrictions may be imposed in alignment with host city public safety authorities in certain venues based on local regulations.”
The FIFA spokesperson added that “additional fan information” for all the World Cup matches for all “will be communicated in advance of the tournament”.
This isn’t the only thing that is likely to anger fans this summer, is it?
Absolutely not.
FIFA’s ticket prices for this World Cup have been unprecedented in terms of expense in comparison to any other previous edition of the tournament.
On top of this, supporters wanting to follow their country’s efforts are facing costly hotel stays and expensive public transport.
The Athletic reported on Tuesday how New Jersey’s NJ Transit is planning to charge over $100 for return rail tickets from New York’s Pennsylvania Station to MetLife Stadium for FIFA World Cup matches — more than seven times its normal cost ($12.90).
