World Cup 2026 stadium rules in numbers: what South African fans can't bring in

South Africa return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, with Bafana Bafana drawn in Group A alongside Mexico, South Korea and Czechia. The schedule is the key thing for travelling fans:

• 11 June - Mexico (hosts), Mexico City
• Between 11-24 June - Czechia, Atlanta
• 24 June - South Korea, Monterrey

Two of those three games fall in Mexico, which matters, because FIFA's Stadium Code of Conduct and Mexico's own laws set some of the strictest fan rules the tournament has seen. Here's the data on what you can't bring in.

1. Vapes - the big one

• Mexico introduced a nationwide ban on 16 January 2026, the first country to write such a ban into its constitution.
• It is now illegal to bring a vape into the country at all, not just into stadiums.
• Customs use X-ray scanners to detect lithium batteries.
• A single device means confiscation and a fine; several can be treated as trafficking - fines of around US$12,500 and prison terms of up to eight years.
• In the US and Canada, the penalty is lighter: vapes are simply confiscated at the gate.

2. Bags

• Allowed: small clear plastic bags (one-gallon freezer bags up to 11 x 11 inches, or clear PVC up to 12 x 12 x 6 inches) and small non-clear wallets (max 6.5 x 4.5 inches).
• Banned: backpacks, handbags and totes.
• There is no bag check service at any stadium.

3. Food and drink

• No outside food or drink, including bottled water, cans, glass and coolers.
• One exception: a single empty clear plastic bottle, up to one litre.

4. Umbrellas, chairs and cushions

• Umbrellas of any size, folding chairs, cushions with pockets and prams are all refused.
• A flat cushion with no pockets is usually fine.

5. Noise and pyrotechnics

• Vuvuzelas, air horns and bullhorns are banned as excessive noise instruments.
• Pyrotechnics are the most serious - a criminal offence in all three host countries, carrying ejection, arrest and possible prosecution.

What you can bring: phones, wallets, glasses, watches, sunscreen, hats, small flags under two metres (no poles) and essential medication with documentation.