Zenica, March 28: The capacity of Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica, the venue for the World Cup play-off Final between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been reduced by 20% due to a FIFA ruling issued in January. This decision means that over 2,100 seats will be unavailable for the match against the Azzurri.
Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina are set to clash in the World Cup play-off Final on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Why the World Cup Play-off Stadium Final Has Limited Capacity
The Bosnian football federation selected Bilino Polje Stadium, which has a total capacity of 15,600. However, the upcoming match will see fewer fans in attendance as a result of a FIFA decision made earlier this year.
FIFA cited several incidents during Bosnia and Herzegovina’s recent home match against Romania on November 15, 2025. Consequently, the Bosnian federation faced a fine and a warning, leading to the mandate for a reduced capacity for the next home match.
FIFA reported issues including “team misconduct, discrimination, and racist abuse, as well as disturbances during national anthems and a lack of order in and around the stadium.”
The Bosnian federation confirmed FIFA’s ruling in a statement released in January: “Due to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decision (No. FDD-26056) dated January 9, 2026, ordering partial stadium closure for the next qualifying match, FFBiH must reduce the number of commercial tickets for the playoff in Zenica on March 31, 2026.”
The sanction was imposed following incidents during the FIFA World Cup qualifier between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania. The ruling requires the closure of at least 20% of available seats, primarily behind the goals. As a result, the South stand blocks B, C, and D will be fully closed (1,508 seats), along with part of the West stand (first three rows, 592 seats), totaling 2,100 seats unavailable for this crucial match.
The Bosnian Federation announced on Friday that all tickets for the World Cup final against Italy had sold out just hours after their penalty shootout victory over Wales in the semifinals.
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