Work is underway at Wembley Stadium to transform more areas into safe standing sections amid calls from supporters to improve the atmosphere inside the national stadium.
Ahead of the Carabao Cup final in March, the Football Association have committed to installing 10,000 safe standing places in the upper tier at Wembley, and work has already started to ensure that it is completed in time for the first major cup final of the year in two months' time.
The new areas will also be in place in time for England's World Cup warm-up matches during the March international break. The Three Lions are set to take on Uruguay and Japan in two testing fixtures, and the new safe standing areas could help make the games feel more atmospheric and closer to a World Cup match.
FA chiefs listen to fans calls
Safe standing was first introduced at Wembley back in 2023, before the Carabao Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle United.
Back then, both sets of supporters were given 867 spots each, but throughout the match, all supporters in other sections were repeatedly told to sit down rather than stand, which is often customary for all clubs at cup finals.
2026 so far, and we’re just getting started.
— Wembley Stadium (@wembleystadium) January 16, 2026
In the years that have followed, there have been calls for more safe standing areas at Wembley to ensure that when cup finals do come around, supporters are able to stand safely without the risk of injury, and in November, those calls were listened to by the FA.
Brent Council, Wembley's local safety authority, approved the plans in November, which has allowed the swift turnaround. These sections are generally very easy to install, too, which has also sped the process up.
FGG says: A welcome addition to the national stadium
Football supporters are always going to stand when their team plays at cup finals, as is the nature and significance of cup finals. The only way to ensure that these supporters aren't at risk of toppling into each other from behind, more safe standing sections need to be installed.
As such, the news that both sets of fans at the upcoming Carabao Cup final will be allocated 5,000 safe standing places each is excellent.