No, FIFA isn’t actually banning tailgating at the Linc during the World Cup
Fans jumped on a report that tailgating will be banned in Foxborough, Mass., and assumed it would be the case here in Philly. “That does not apply to us,” an Eagles spokesperson told The Inquirer.
The latest explosion of outrage around fans getting bilked at the World Cup has hit one of Philadelphia sports’ most sacred traditions: tailgating.
On Tuesday, Boston’s ABC-TV station reported that tailgating won’t be allowed for World Cup games at Gillette Stadium, which will be called Boston Stadium during the tournament. (FIFA has never allowed corporate sponsors’ names to be used on stadiums during senior men’s or women’s World Cups.)
The report cited a “Match Day Checklist” on the website of Boston’s local World Cup organizing committee, which says: “Please note that the traditional ‘tailgating’ (eating and drinking around parked cars) is not permitted for these events per FIFA policy.”
» READ MORE: Lincoln Financial Field will look almost unrecognizable during the World Cup
This was quickly jumped on by the official X accounts of Polymarket and Barstool Sports, whose millions of followers no doubt include many veteran tailgaters. It didn’t take long after that for word to spread across the country.
As it did, a lot of people assumed the policy would apply nationwide — meaning Philadelphia, too. The city will host six games in the tournament from June 14 to July 4 at Lincoln Financial Field, which will be called Philadelphia Stadium for the summer.
But in fact, there will not be an outright ban on tailgating in Philadelphia.
» READ MORE: Lincoln Financial Field will look almost unrecognizable during the World Cup
“That does not apply to us,” an Eagles spokesperson told The Inquirer. “The event day experience for the World Cup will be consistent with all major ticketed events we host at Lincoln Financial Field.”
There will no doubt be limits, because there will be an expanded security perimeter within the Sports Complex that fans will need a game ticket to pass through. That was always going to be the case, even though the exact scale of the perimeter isn’t known yet.
But, again, there will not be an outright ban on tailgating in the parking lots.
“Philadelphia is a city defined by its fans and its traditions, and that will not change when the world arrives” for the World Cup, a spokesperson for Philadelphia’s local organizing committee said. “While our fan experience plans are still being finalized with our partners, we are committed to delivering a World Cup that is authentically Philadelphia — and that means celebrating the passion, the energy, and the game-day culture that makes this city unlike any other.”
FIFA even took the unusual step of responding directly to posts on X that claimed the soccer governing body had banned tailgating. It answered six accounts directly — Barstool, Polymarket, PHLEaglesNation, Pubity, the Boston ABC station, and Germany’s Deutsche Welle network — with the same statement.
» READ MORE: Fans from four nations headed to Philly for the World Cup face real obstacles to get here — including travel bans
“FIFA does not have a formal policy that restricts tailgating (eating and drinking around parked cars in stadium areas),” it said. “However, site-specific restrictions may be imposed in alignment with host city public safety authorities in certain venues based on local regulations. Additional fan information for all FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will be communicated in advance of the tournament.”
That response, unsurprisingly, was dunked on by fans in Philadelphia and beyond. Still, it may well be true that FIFA didn’t actually enforce a rule across all of the tournament’s 16 venues.
Nine nations will compete in five group stage matches this summer, plus two more in a knockout game on July 4. Here’s what you need to know about those countries — and what those fans need to know about Philly. Click here for more.
