FIFA unaware of ticketless fans entering England's World Cup opener at AT&T Stadium

FIFA has denied knowledge of widespread ticketless entry at England’s World Cup opening match against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, after eyewitness reports described significant security failures at the venue.

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 statement came in response to accounts from witnesses who told Mail Sport that large gaps existed at the side of ticket barriers, with volunteers failing to stop supporters walking straight through. “There were volunteers who were basically old ladies and they weren’t stopping anyone,” one witness said.

The official attendance for the match was recorded as 70,389 — just under the 70,649 capacity confirmed by FIFA ahead of the tournament — making it difficult to determine from the figures alone whether unauthorised entry occurred at scale.

Ticket pricing has been a contentious issue throughout the build-up to the tournament. The cheapest seats available through England’s official supporter travel scheme were initially priced at £198 for the Croatia fixture. Following a backlash from fans, FIFA pledged to make 10 per cent of tickets per match available at $60 (£45).

On the pitch, England produced a commanding second-half display to win 4-2. Harry Kane scored twice in the first half to give the Three Lions an early advantage, but goals from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa drew Croatia level before the break. Thomas Tuchel’s half-time intervention proved decisive: Jude Bellingham restored England’s lead just two minutes after the restart, and Marcus Rashford sealed the win from the bench late on.

England face Ghana in Boston on Tuesday, with a victory enough to secure their place in the knockout phase.