FIFA has issued a statement denying claims that fans gained unauthorised entry to England's opening World Cup match against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Eyewitness reports suggested that large numbers of spectators bypassed security and entered the stadium without valid tickets.
Allegations of Security Breach
One onlooker told Mail Sport: "There were big gaps at the side of the ticket barriers and people just strolled through. There were volunteers who were basically old ladies and they weren't stopping anyone." However, a FIFA spokesperson responded: "At this stage, we have no indication of fans entering the stadium without a valid match ticket for the game in question."
Attendance and Ticket Controversy
The official attendance for the match was recorded as 70,389, slightly below the stadium's capacity of 70,649. Ticket pricing has been a contentious issue, with the cheapest tickets for England's supporter travel scheme initially priced at £198 for the Croatia match. After fan criticism, FIFA pledged to make 10 per cent of tickets per match available for 60 US dollars (£45).
Match Recap: England's Thrilling Victory
Harry Kane scored twice to lead England to a 4-2 victory over Croatia in their Group L opener. Kane's early penalty was cancelled out by Martin Baturina, but the England captain then equalled Gary Lineker's World Cup goal record with a header from a Declan Rice corner. Croatia equalised again through Petar Musa before half-time. Jude Bellingham put England back ahead early in the second half, and substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the win late on.
