A recent decision by FIFA in January has led to a 20% reduction in the seating capacity of Zenica’s Bilino Polje Stadium, the designated venue for the World Cup play-off Final featuring Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This ruling means that more than 2,100 seats will not be accessible for the crucial match against the Italian national team.
The highly anticipated World Cup play-off Final between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Reasons for Restricted Capacity at the World Cup Play-off Final
The Bosnian Football Federation selected Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica, which typically accommodates 15,600 spectators.
However, the upcoming World Cup play-off Final against Italy will see a reduced attendance, a consequence of a FIFA directive issued earlier in January.
FIFA’s decision followed reports of multiple incidents during Bosnia and Herzegovina’s home fixture against Romania on November 15, 2025. As a result, the Bosnian federation faced a fine, a warning, and a mandate to host their next home game with a diminished spectator capacity.
The official FIFA report detailed issues such as ‘team misconduct, discrimination and racist abuse, the unauthorized lighting of fireworks or other disruptive objects during national anthems, and general disorder or lack of discipline both inside and surrounding the stadium.’
In January, the Bosnian federation officially confirmed FIFA’s ruling, stating: ‘In accordance with FIFA Disciplinary Committee decision No. FDD-26056, issued on January 9, 2026, which mandates a partial stadium closure for the upcoming qualifying match, the FFBiH is obliged to decrease the number of commercial tickets available for the play-off in Zenica on March 31, 2026.’
They further clarified: ‘This sanction stems from various incidents that occurred during the FIFA World Cup qualifier between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania. The directive mandates the closure of at least 20% of the stadium’s seating capacity, with a primary focus on areas behind the goals. Consequently, blocks B, C, and D of the South stand will be entirely closed (accounting for 1,508 seats), in addition to a section of the West stand (the first three rows, comprising 592 seats). This brings the total number of unavailable seats for this pivotal match to 2,100.’
Despite the reduced capacity, the Bosnian Federation reported on Friday that all tickets for the World Cup play-off final against Italy were completely sold out within hours, following their semi-final penalty shootout triumph over Wales.