England and Wales fans face HUGE fines if they're caught topless at the World Cup in Qatar

England and Wales supporters are at risk of being slapped with huge fines if they go shirtless at the World Cup in Qatar this winter.

The tournament gets underway on November 20, with England and Wales drawn in the same group alongside Iran and the United States.

The World Cup is being staged in the winter to avoid the searing summer heat in Qatar.

But the average temperatures in November and December are still 26°C and 21°C respectively.

While supporters will be able to drink up to 17 hours a day at a 'desert festival' throughout the tournament, fans have been told not to go bare-chested in Qatar.

FIFA has warned fans that shoulders must be covered in public in the conservative Muslim country.

Meanwhile, the removal of shirts inside any stadium is not allowed.

In a section titled Cultural Awareness on the official website for the tournament, it reads: "People can generally wear their clothing of choice.

"Visitors are expected to cover their shoulders and knees when visiting public places like museums and other government buildings.

"Swimwear is allowed at hotel beaches and pools.

The World Cup gets underway on November 20 (Image: Alamy)

"Fans attending matches should note that the removal of shirts in the stadium is not permitted."

According to The Sun, fans will be fined £2,400 for littering at the World Cup and can expect a similar punishment if they defy the ban on going topless.

Fans can expect to be caught if they break the rules inside stadiums, with 15,000 cameras installed to monitor supporters.

"We have high-resolution special cameras to zoom in on a particular seat and clearly see the spectator," said chief technology officer Niyas Abulrahiman.

"It's being recorded, so that will help us in any post-event investigation."

Qatar's strict rules and the price of staying in the country has seemingly put off England supporters from travelling to the Middle East this winter.

Fans have been warned to keep their shirts on at matches (Image: Alamy)

In September, the Football Association had yet to sell out its full allocation of tickets for the Three Lions' group matches to the England Supporters' Club – the core group of fans that typically watch games home and away.

England face Iran in their opening match on November 21 before taking on the United States (November 25) and Wales (November 29) in their remaining group matches.

Wales, competing in their first World Cup since 1958, take on the United States (November 21) and Iran (November 25) before their crunch match with rivals England.

Topics: England, Wales, Qatar, Football, Football World Cup

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan