England supporters attending the World Cup in the United States have been commended by police for their "excellent" behavior during the group stages. The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) reported no instances of violence or disorder linked to England fans in America, with only two out of five total arrests occurring at a World Cup match.
In contrast to the positive conduct abroad, football-related incidents within England and Wales have seen a notable increase compared to previous tournaments. There have been 463 such incidents, a rise from 304 at the same stage of Euro 2024 and 291 during the 2022 World Cup. The behavior of Scottish fans in the US has also been praised.
"The behavior of England fans - and of course the Scots - has been excellent throughout the group stages of the World Cup," stated chief constable Mark Roberts, head of the UKFPU. "In our pre-briefs we stressed to local law enforcement the positive record of our fans at recent World Cups, and it is great to see that continuing and the fans being policed according to their behavior, not an outdated reputation."
All five England supporters arrested in the United States have been released by American authorities and referred to the UKFPU. The 463 football-related incidents recorded domestically include 162 in licensed premises and 109 classified as domestic incidents, often involving family members over the age of 16. A total of 88 people have been arrested in connection with these incidents, an increase from 66 during Euro 2024 and 56 during the 2022 World Cup.
Many arrests in the UK related to football fall under the Public Order Act, encompassing a range of anti-social behaviors such as swearing, shouting, intimidation, and violence. Prior to the World Cup's commencement, 1,958 football supporters subject to football banning orders were required to surrender their passports to prevent them from traveling to the tournament.