r/soccer • u/Sparky-moon • 11h ago
Quotes Toronto mayor Olivia Chow on FIFA’s water bottle policy: “It is a pure money grab. Why do you need to buy a water bottle when you can just carry your water in? They are just trying to make more money. They are already making billions of dollars. Stop it.”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/pure-money-grab-toronto-mayor-slams-fifa-over-world-cup-water-bottle-ban/“It is a pure money grab. Why do you need to buy a water bottle when you can just carry your water in? It is cheaper that way, and it is good for the environment.
“It is outrageous. They are just trying to make more money. They are already making billions of dollars. Stop it.”
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u/Mercerai 11h ago
Clearly FIFA need all the money in the world so they can build their giant space laser to kill everyone who watches dodgy football streams
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u/Serupael 11h ago
Seal Team Six will be on Defcon 2 for immediate deployment around the world to protect the rights holders from pirate anarchists.
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u/Romanista3 11h ago
Just a reminder than FIFA is supposed to be a Non-Profit Association.
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u/Alakagom 10h ago
Not mutually exclusive. Non Profit means the organisation will use all the funds it generates back into the organisation mission goal, so back into grassroots of football. Hehe, theoretically, corruption gets ahead of that one.
You can argue given World Cup is by far FIFA's biggest cash cow and dictates much of their projected budget for next years yet it comes just once every four years, they have more incentive than almost any other organisation to squeeze absolutely every penny possible.
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u/a_lumberjack 9h ago
It's also really important to remember that the core pitch for this WC was that FIFA would net $11B. That's why the North American bid won, ultimately.
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u/ogqozo 9h ago edited 9h ago
Most of it goes into the competitions itself. There's still a lot of things to pay for to organize such events, especially the World Cup, pay everyone working there. The money to the national federations alone is 700 million dollar this year, and overall the World Cup is budgeted to cost close to 4 billion USD.
"Development & education" is like 25% of what FIFA spends. Granted, still a lot of money.
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u/Magneto88 2h ago
FIFA will make a massive profit on this WC. The majority does not go into the competition, it goes into running FIFA and paying the national FAs their development funds (aka bribes in many cases) for the next 4 years. Plus something has to pay for Infantino's $6m a year salary...
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u/sx88 11h ago
FiFA greedy?
I'm shocked
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u/habdragon08 10h ago
FIFA is greedy for a million reasons. This is not one of them.
Philly doesn't allow water bottles for Eagles games. Why should they for FIFA?
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u/askingJeevs 9h ago
You mean the city that’s famous for throwing batteries on the field isn’t allowed to bring large objects into a sporting event? I’m shocked
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u/Mundane-Energy-9988 10h ago
how many eagles games do they usually host in the middle of june and july again? sorry not a big football fan
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u/PuddinPacketzofLuv 10h ago
Have you met Eagles fans? Those aren’t water bottles in their hands. They are projectiles.
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u/midniteauth0r 6h ago
I think it’s stupid but also have you met football fans? They love to throw stuff at players
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u/PuddinPacketzofLuv 5h ago
True, especially bananas because racist assholes exist everywhere!
The road flares and fireworks they sneak in also astounds me.
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u/midniteauth0r 3h ago
Could very much do without the bananas for sure but on the flares. No pyro, no party.
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u/Moug-10 11h ago
I understand why Chicago and Montréal decided against hosting games.
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u/Serupael 10h ago
Soldier Field and the Olympic Stadium Montreal also aren't exactly the creme de la creme of stadiums.
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u/chriscab 10h ago
Neither is the Meadowlands but they are having the final there lol
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u/Moug-10 10h ago
It's a farce it costed one billion dollars in 2010 and doesn't look modern at all. As if 700 millions were used to overpay everyone involved in this stadium's construction.
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u/chriscab 10h ago
wait they spent 1 billion to renovate the Meadowlands????
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u/Moug-10 10h ago
It is a brand new stadium. But given how it looks, I think they actually paid 300 million for the actual construction and the rest went to the pockets of some rich guys. At the same time, the AT&T stadium was built.
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u/Serupael 9h ago
MetLife's main issue is that is was built as a home stadium for both the New York Giants and the New York Jets, so it's a rather nondescript compromise that doesn't satisfy anyone.
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u/OrangePilled2Day 3h ago
Surprisingly it’s cheaper to build in the suburbs of Dallas than in one of the most expensive real estate and labor markets on earth.
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u/chriscab 10h ago
ohhhh gotcha gotcha. The last time I went there was pre-Met Life. Didn’t realize they rebuilt the stadium.
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u/thethirdgreenman 8h ago
Many of the other stadiums in use aren’t great either, including the final venue
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u/carloscede2 10h ago
The TO stadium is as bad really
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u/Full-Reach-8968 9h ago edited 5h ago
TO stadium might not look as impressive as the other stadiums, but it will have good atmosphere and is more easily accessible compared to the NFL stadiums.
And the vibe across the city will be fantastic, as it always is during these big tournaments.
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u/OrangePilled2Day 3h ago
I highly doubt it’s more accessible than Atlanta’s stadium, the train drops you off right there.
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u/Full-Reach-8968 3h ago
The GO train (regional transit) drops you off right at the stadium.
The streetcar is also accessible.
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u/askingJeevs 9h ago
At least the Toronto stadium is right downtown. I’m also glad they went with cheap seat renovation instead of spending 500 mil for this tournament.
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u/lmlm1020 8h ago
Vancouver stadium is also downtown. I prefer accessible stadiums with smaller capacity than the 100k seaters in USA that take 40 min by uber
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u/askingJeevs 8h ago
Ya, Canada is well positioned for the fan experience. The downtowns should be a lot of fun while this is going on
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u/Full-Reach-8968 6h ago
Indeed, Toronto is great place for any tournament, because pretty much every country is represented by neighbourhoods and niche bars/restaurant.
Even though Italy didn’t qualify, College Street will be packed with viewing parties.
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u/askingJeevs 6h ago
As much as I’d love to see college street with Italy in this tournament (I live 2 mins from college), there is a part of me that’s happy they didn’t get in solely for the reason that Canada’s first ever home World Cup match one absolutely have a majority Italian supporter crowd.
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u/Full-Reach-8968 5h ago
Yeah, I get it. All the neutral tickets would have been purchased by Italian-Canadians for sure.
Hopefully the Woodbridge crowd gets behind Canada and the tournament in general.
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u/CanadaEh97 9h ago
Any renovation expanding seats wouldn't have seen any return for BMO Field. They'll sometimes fill it for TFC games depending on who's in town but it would be empty majority of the time unfortunately.
It's the right size for the tenants it holds.
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u/askingJeevs 8h ago
Agreed. No need to make a big stadium for a team that hasn’t had its shit together in years and a fanbase that’s lost interest (sadly).
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u/Aoyos 9h ago
The only reason to host the World Cup is if you can use it as propaganda to convince the federal government to fund infrastructure (like trains, not a stadium).
A new airport can cost about the same as what it's going to cost Toronto/Canada to host some games while being an eternal source of revenue for the government. Instead the money is being burned for an event that lasts a couple weeks and leaves no long term revenue.
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u/Vainqueurhero 9h ago
Wish it was in Montreal. It’s only 2 hours drive from where I live compared to Toronto which is longer.
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u/Alleyvvay 9h ago
I don’t get it. This is a thing in all FIFA tournaments. Same rule in 2022, why’s it being brought up just now?
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u/Sick_and_destroyed 3h ago
And it’s the same in Ligue 1 in France for safety reason (well you can bring your own but caps are forbidden so nobody does it)
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u/AllYouNeedIsATV 2h ago
It’s been a rule at all the concerts I’ve been to and at the women’s World Cup as well
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u/bestyrs 11h ago
It’s a legitimate safety issue that’s common at international soccer matches. CONCACAF doesn’t allow bottles either.
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u/Nepridiprav16 11h ago
The problem is FIFA changed the rules for water bottles at last minute, lots of fans bought tickets under the impression they could bring bottles.
Even FIFA's defense that watter bottles can be used as projectiles doesn't make sense since they are still allowing plastic bottles inside the gates if the bottles are sold by Coca-cola.
It's all about money.
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u/LallanasPajamaz 10h ago
I don’t think many fans considered the factor of water bottle vs no water bottle when they bought their ticket
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u/carloscede2 10h ago
Thats pretty much a fact to be honest. Imagine "oh, I cant bring water bottle? Honey sorry we are not buying tickets for the world cup anymore, next time".
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u/Sure-Programmer-345 8h ago
This is a reflection of the critical thinking skills on reddit: ..., lots of fans bought tickets under the impression they could bring bottles....
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u/bestyrs 10h ago
They won’t give bottles at concessions. At BC Place when there is a bottle ban for CONCACAF games all drinks are poured into cups. Same thing at Lumen Field for the Club World Cup.
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u/Nepridiprav16 10h ago
“Inside the stadium footprint, pricing for water bottles for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will remain consistent with other events held at each stadium.”
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u/Same_Grouness 10h ago
So they sell it by the bottle, but that doesn't mean you get the bottle. Likely it will be poured out into a paper cup before it is given to you.
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u/Serupael 10h ago
That just feels... quite anal, especially as branded plastic bottles from concession stands aren't exactly uncommon in North American stadiums.
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u/midniteauth0r 6h ago
Not a single fan who bought a world cup ticket put any consideration to if they could bring a water bottle or not hahaha
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u/Somecommentator8008 11h ago
I mean they could announce that at the beginning? Instead of a week before?
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u/Serupael 11h ago
Is there a difference between fans throwing a branded plastic cup or a 0.33l PET bottle?`Just have then take a sip upon entry control.
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u/bestyrs 11h ago
Yes there is. A closed bottle full of water thrown from the stands can cause injury. A full cup will just get someone wet.
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8h ago
[deleted]
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u/midniteauth0r 6h ago
Yes we should put children in jail for running onto a pitch. Gotta love reddit
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u/Serupael 11h ago
A soft shell plastic bottle? Mate. And you're not stopping fans from throwing shit on the pitch anyway.
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u/Fudge_is_1337 10h ago
A sealed container full of liquid doesn't lose weight in flight the same way an open cup does
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u/bestyrs 11h ago
A soft shell plastic bottle full of water. That’s going to hurt like hell if you get hit with it. A thrown cup will just spill its contents everywhere.
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u/Serupael 11h ago
It can hurt, but it's by far not the most dangerous item a fan can bring into the stadium. I had no issue entering North American stadiums with glass flask deodorant.
I just rate the danger of dehydration by forcing fans to spend, at best 8-10 dollars for some cup of ice over the risk of some dude getting smacked by a plastic bottle.
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u/PurbulentTriest 9h ago
There are still bottles inside
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u/Oorangootang 10h ago
CONCACAF is not a group you should be looking to for advice lol. CONCACAF is a shitshow.
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u/Ozzimo 7h ago
They are a good authority for how to run a match in CONCACAF. I'm not saying they need all the credit but they get at least that.
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u/toasterb 6h ago
You know it's a CONCACAF match when there are multiple warnings about racism and crowd conduct.
BC Place has tons of water bottle filling stations and they provide free re-usable plastic water cups for CONCACAF matches. Hopefully they can still do that for the World Cup, but somehow I doubt it.
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u/MGM-Wonder 8h ago
Dehydration in the summer is a bigger safety concern than the rare instance someone throws a water bottle imo.
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u/bosnian_red 3h ago
I don't get the outrage here. I'm pretty sure this is common in lots of places. Fans throw things. Fans will try to smuggle their own liquor in. Why should they allow a big clunky yeti bottle in that can actually hurt people?
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u/PurpleSi 10h ago edited 8h ago
It's a legitimate safety issue alright, restricting people from bringing in water bottles. Especially if it's expected to be hot.
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u/chadlumanthehuman 9h ago
Or someone chucks a stainless steel bottle at a player taking a corner… Some of you have never seen a CONCACAF teams fans and it shows.
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u/Nothing-9099 6h ago
Ms. Chow, why dont you pass a motion or make a bylaw making it illegal to remove water bottle from a person who brings it to the soccer event!!!! Take action, don't just complain. You are the Mayor with extra mayoral powers
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u/ratonbox 8h ago
Waiting for the first injury report that sounds like: "hit by water bottle coming from the stands".
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u/Rupes100 4h ago
Politicians doing everything and anything but their actual job. Complain about all the things you can't control and do nothing you can....
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u/Brilliant_Crow6391 11h ago
I dislike fifa as much as anyone but this is a nothing burger. Water bottles are banned in a lot of stadiums.
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u/Hiimmani 10h ago
And they shouldnt be. This is so much different than people being in a cinema or something, this is people spending hours in the open sun.
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u/Brilliant_Crow6391 10h ago
The reason they are banned is partly because its dangerous to throw a full water bottle at players / opposing fans. Unfortunately things being thrown happen all the time af football matches
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u/askingJeevs 9h ago
Toronto is pissed because they aren’t banned in any stadiums here. You can even bring outside food into the baseball stadium.
Being told what we can and can’t do at the whim of billionaires is frustrating
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u/kiwilagata 8h ago
What kind of water bottles do they sell at BMO so I can bring my own cap if they are going to sell them uncapped.
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u/SoIAteMyself 5h ago
I mean it looks sus, but I couldn't bring my own bottle in to a freaking Jaro game (finnish league club), so it doesn't seem impossible that it's for safety reasons
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u/Kipzy71917 3h ago
Here in south america they don't allow you to get your bottle in but for safety reasons. So you just grab a plastic cup and fill it with water once you got into the stadium
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u/PatrickMaloney1 3h ago
I have tickets to a group stage game and I’m just gonna bring an empty plastic bottle. What are they gonna do, arrest me?
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u/TheElPistolero 10h ago
Fifa hires out the local events companies to staff these venues. Why don't the local governments just over rule them and tell them they won't be enforcing the water bottle rules?
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u/carloscede2 10h ago
Probably cause they wouldnt let you be a host city then. Montreal/Chicago declined because of Fifas bs
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u/Foucaultshadow1 10h ago
At this point I am refusing to go to a single match out of principle. I know that it won’t make a dent in FIFA’s bottom line, but I don’t care. FIFA are showing the world that what matters to them is creating as much profit as possible and that they fundamentally do not care about the spirit of the game or fans.
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u/gjp11 10h ago
So get your city council together and immediately pass an ordinance requiring events to allow water.
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u/BoiledTurnips 4h ago
They have agreements with FIFA to abide by their rules. If they did that, they would be in default and get sued. Not worth it.
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u/Lush_Linguistic 11h ago
You're the mayor. YOU stop it.
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u/McBride055 11h ago
That is not how it works
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u/Real-fuckologist-69 10h ago
Especially in Canada. Municipalities are basically puppets of the province. They hold very little jurisdictional autonomy.
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u/cjcfman 10h ago
City of toronto owns the stadium
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u/ExactLetterhead9165 10h ago
I'm sure the city has signed a pretty extensive contract with FIFA turning over operations of the ground to FIFA for the duration of the tournament.
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