World Cup 2026: 'Excellent' behavior of England supporters in the United States
Police have praised the behavior of England supporters in the United States in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, but the number of football-related incidents in England and Wales has increased compared to the previous tournament.
Police have praised the behavior of England supporters in the United States during the group stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to a report by the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU). There have been no reports of violence or disorder involving England supporters in America. Of the five England supporters arrested, only two were caught in a World Cup match.
Despite this, the number of football-related incidents within England and Wales has increased. The number of recorded incidents reached 463 — higher than both the Euro 2024 (304) and the 2022 World Cup (291) stages.
The report also praised the behavior of Scotland's supporters in the United States, although their numbers were not included in the released note.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/branded_sport/1200/cpsprodpb/daf8/live/ffb814d0-7491-11f1-bb8c-7bdd252343cb.jpg" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>"The behavior of the England supporters — and of course the Scots — was excellent throughout the group stages of the World Cup," said chief constable Mark Roberts, head of the UKFPU. "In our pre-briefs, we highlighted to the local police the positive record of our fans at recent World Cups, and it's good to see this continuing and fans being looked after on their behavior, not on a stale reputation."
The five supporters arrested in the United States have since been released and referred back to the UKFPU. Of the 463 incidents in England and Wales, 162 occurred on licensed premises, while 109 were classified as domestic incidents—often involving family members over the age of 16.
In total, 88 people were arrested in football-related incidents in England and Wales, higher than during Euro 2024 (66) and World Cup 2022 (56). Many of the arrests in the UK are covered by the Public Order Act, which covers various anti-social behaviors such as swearing, shouting, intimidation and violence.
Before the World Cup began, 1,958 supporters covered by football banning orders were required to surrender their passports in a move to prevent them from going to the World Cup.
