England’s World Cup opener was the scene of a major security breach after ‘scores’ of ticketless Three Lions fans managed to enter their World Cup opener with Croatia.
Witnesses have told Daily Mail Sport of startling scenes outside Dallas Stadium in which groups of opportunists brazenly ‘strolled’ in, easily swerving ticket and security checks.
‘It was ridiculous,’ explained one travelling fan, who did have a ticket and who brought a replica World Cup for the occasion.
‘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.
‘I scanned my ticket because I had one, but nobody checked my flag or my trophy. Loads just walked through while others just jumped over the top. There were huge gaps.’
A huge security operation was put in place for England’s tournament bow at the huge home of the NFL’s Cowboys. Officials said that snipers were in place inside the stadium, with the Arlington Police Department explaining that they had ‘highly trained personnel and specialized resources’ deployed at the venue.
A number of ticketless England fans got into their World Cup opener against Croatia in Texas
Despite the witness accounts, a FIFA spokesperson said that ‘at this stage’ they had ‘no indication of fans entering the stadium without a valid match ticket’.
Police also said they were not aware of any issues when contacted for comment.
The situation may trigger anger among the thousands of England fans who paid eye-watering prices to turn the stadium in Texas into a virtual home game for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Aside from a small number of tickets distributed by the FA and priced at £45, entry was charged at between £200 and £526, with those on resale markets going for multiple times more.
Ahead of the tournament starting, White House officials spoke of an ‘unprecedented’ challenge. More than 400 law enforcement agencies are working with the government and private sector to secure stadiums.
Local media said the first match at the venue, between the Netherlands and Japan, was played out in front of ‘the most complex and robust nationwide security operation ever implemented’, providing ‘Super Bowl-level protection’.
A ring of steel was meant to be in place, with metal fencing surrounding the perimeter. However, Daily Mail Sport witnessed no security or ticket checks ahead of the turnstiles.
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