Riot police deployed in Benidorm as Spain prepares for World Cup influx of England fans

Riot police will be deployed in Benidorm throughout the 2025 FIFA World Cup after local authorities confirmed a sharp rise in British tourists planning to watch the tournament from the Costa Blanca resort. The operation, covering June 11 to July 19, was announced following a coordination meeting between police and town council officials.

Benidorm’s town council confirmed that both local police and Spain’s National Police will reinforce afternoon, evening, and night-time shifts across the full duration of the competition. The National Police contingent will come from the Alicante UIP unit — a highly trained public-order force typically deployed to manage protests and high-risk sporting events in Spain’s largest cities.

The decision was driven in part by a 16.4 per cent increase in airline seat capacity on flights from the United Kingdom to Alicante during the World Cup’s first phase, from June 11 to June 27. Many England supporters have opted to follow the tournament from Spain rather than travel to the United States, where accommodation and ticket costs have been widely cited as prohibitively expensive.

Jesus Carrobles, Benidorm’s Councillor for Citizen Security and Public Service, said the town was expecting a significant number of fans to gather in public spaces, bars, clubs, and restaurants. “During the World Cup dates, an increase has been detected in the number of airline seats reserved on flights to Alicante, especially from the United Kingdom, so it is expected that many tourists and fans will choose to enjoy this sporting event in our town,” he said.

A council spokesman added that the operation would remain flexible: “The presence of members of the National Police’s Alicante UIP unit is also planned in Benidorm. The operation will be adapted according to the evolution of the tournament.”

An accompanying public information campaign is also planned as part of the broader security effort.