Six arrested at AT&T Stadium as England rout Croatia 4-2 in Dallas World Cup opener

Six people were arrested at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, during England’s 4-2 World Cup group-stage victory over Croatia on Wednesday, with one arrest made for criminal trespass following eyewitness reports that fans had entered the venue without proper security checks.

Arlington Police Department confirmed the arrests and said officers also responded to two separate fight incidents inside the stadium, though neither led to any detentions. Among those taken into custody, three faced drugs charges, one was arrested for public intoxication, and another for trademark counterfeiting involving goods valued between £1,889 and £22,679. Police clarified that none of the six individuals arrested were British nationals.

FIFA said it was unaware of any supporters entering the stadium without tickets, despite the eyewitness accounts that prompted the criminal trespass arrest. Police noted that stadium staff typically handle unruly spectators before requesting police assistance, and that security personnel often resolve incidents without officer involvement. Drones were deployed to monitor crowds, and some officers patrolled the stadium perimeter on Segways in the hours before kick-off.

The criminal trespass arrest drew comparisons to the scenes at Wembley Stadium ahead of the Euro 2020 final, when thousands of ticketless fans stormed the ground. A subsequent review by Baroness Louise Casey found that lives had been put at risk during that breach. Tailgating at football matches in the UK was subsequently made a criminal offence.

On the pitch, England produced a commanding performance, with captain Harry Kane scoring twice and Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford also finding the net. Sir David Beckham praised the “great performance” and the “togetherness” of Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Off the pitch, the atmosphere among England supporters in the Dallas area was described as electric despite scorching afternoon temperatures. At the nearby Texas Live sports bar, fans consumed 45,349 pints of beer — a turnout that staff said exceeded what they would typically expect for a Dallas Cowboys playoff game. Supporters were seen jumping into a water fountain at the final whistle, while more than half a tonne of smoked meat was sold at the venue during the match.

Back in the UK, more than 14 million people watched the game, with peak viewership reaching 15.4 million — the highest audience figure of the year.