'Absolute Disgrace' — Australians slam ban on World Cup screenings at Federation Square

Australian vowels and slam bans on World Cup screening.

Football players, fans, and officials in Australia have criticized the ban on World Cup match screenings at Melbourne’s Federation Square due to poor fan behavior during Australia’s games in past tournaments.

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Hundreds of thousands of fans have gathered in the heart of Melbourne’s central business district to watch Australia's matches at the square since the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Video of fans celebrating wildly went viral during the 2022 tournament in Qatar when Australia advanced to the round of 16.

The venue’s management said on Wednesday that the public square will not show any World Cup matches on its big screen for the first time in at least 20 years.

A number of incidents soured the celebrations, though, with fans being injured by flares and projectiles.

Fans stormed barricades during the 2023 Women’s World Cup semifinal between Australia and England, prompting management to cancel plans to screen the ‌Matildas’ subsequent third-place playoff at the square.

“After careful consideration, we’ve made the decision not to show the World Cup on Fed Square’s Big Screen this year,” Melbourne Arts Precinct Director and CEO Katrina Sedgwick said in a statement.

“This is due to the behavior of a small number of people at previous screenings, which was simply unacceptable and damaging to Fed Square.”

The decision triggered a furious response from Australian football players, officials, and a fan group, who said the majority of well-behaved supporters were being made to pay by a tiny minority.

“Melbourne is one of Australia's sporting and multicultural capitals, and this decision goes against this tradition," Football Australia CEO Martin Kugeler said.

Football Australia said they were extremely disappointed and urged the Melbourne Arts Precinct to reverse its decision.

“Federation Square has created some of the most memorable moments in Australian sporting history, dating back to the Socceroos’ historic 2006 FIFA World Cup matches and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.