World Cup fan conduct rules and pranks cause controversy at US venues

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match in Dallas, FIFA announced that English supporters may not hang flags on the stadium’s LED boards for safety reasons. Only small flags are permitted on rails behind the goals, and larger banners must receive prior approval. The federation also bans political or offensive symbols, a rule enforced after a recent Los Angeles court decision that stopped Iranian pre‑revolutionary flags from being displayed. Ronan Evain of Football Supporters Europe criticised the inconsistent application, saying, “In many stadiums this has not been a problem, so it is difficult to understand the real policy versus local improvisation.”

In Boston, Scottish fans turned the World Cup hype into a quirky tribute by placing orange traffic cones on prominent American statues, echoing a similar practice on the Duke of Wellington’s statue in Glasgow. The cones appeared on monuments such as the George Washington statue near Fenway Park, symbolising support for Scotland’s team during its group‑stage matches in the United States.