England fans warned they could be kicked out of tonight's games over certain chants and flags
It's been a long wait for England fans but they'll finally get to see their team play at the World Cup.
It's one of the perils of expanding the tournament to 48 teams and packing in more groups, so now we're at the point where the teams in groups K and L at last have the chance to step onto the pitch.
Thomas Tuchel's England get their World Cup campaign underway in Texas against Croatia, who put England out of the 2018 World Cup in the semi-finals and lost to the Three Lions during Euro 2020(1) as a bit of payback.
Having waited an awful long time for the first game, England fans will finally be able to see their team play but they've been warned to avoid certain chants and not to hang particular flags if they don't want to get in trouble with stadium security.
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According to the Daily Mail, the travelling supporters of the Three Lions have been warned by FIFA not to sing chants like 'Keir Starmer is a w**ker' or to put up flags that feature images of military servicemen.
FIFA has rules on what World Cup attendees can and can't do in a stadium, with fans told not to 'use offensive language or gestures' or fly flags 'that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature'.
Some fans watching England's second warm-up game, a 3-0 win against Costa Rica in Orlando, sang the anti-Starmer chant during the game and they might get in trouble if they try it against Croatia.
One assumes that if some sections of the England fans try similar chats about other figures besides the prime minister then they can expect similar treatment, and since it's cost a lot to get to the World Cup it's best not to get kicked out.
As well as fans being told to keep the chants nice and polite, the Mail adds that supporters wanting to bring in flags larger than 2m x 1.5m have to send in pictures of it beforehand to obtain written permission.
They reported that some flags featuring a silhouette of a soldier holding a rifle have been banned because having a gun on the flag isn't allowed.
Flags with poppies on will be allowed.
Fans have been told they can bring their flags to the stadium, but should prepare for the possibility that the stadium stewards won't let then in with it meaning they'll have to find some place to put the large piece of cloth.
Even if they do get into the stadium with their flags England fans can still get in trouble if they drape them over advertising hoardings where they could cover up the names of the companies that have paid a lot of money to have their brand name put in front of millions of eyeballs.
FIFA said hanging flags over the LED hoardings was banned for 'safety and security reasons', and some fans had their flags confiscated during Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Their guidance for flags says: "Small flags, banners and posters made of a fire-resistant material are allowed in the stadium. Larger flags, banners, posters or instruments must be approved in advance."
England's 2026 World Cup squad
Forwards
9 - Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
7 - Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
18 - Anthony Gordon (Barcelona)
20 - Noni Madueke (Arsenal)
11 - Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United)
22 - Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)
19 - Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Midfielders
4 - Declan Rice (Arsenal)
8 - Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
10 - Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
21 - Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
14 - Jordan Henderson (Brentford)
16 - Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
17 - Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Defenders
3 - Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City)
5 - John Stones (Manchester City)
2 - Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
6 - Marc Guéhi (Manchester City)
15 - Dan Burn (Newcastle United)
24 - Reece James (Chelsea)
12 - Trevor Chalobah (Chelsea)
26 - Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)
25 - Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
Goalkeepers
1 - Jordan Pickford (Everton)
13 - Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)
22 - James Trafford (Manchester City)
Topics: World Cup, Keir Starmer, Football, Sport
Joe Harker