At the World Cup stadiums in Qatar, the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
The news of the announcement comes two days before the start of the World Cup on Sunday.
It was announced on Friday by FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, that alcoholic beer will not be sold at any of Qatar’s World Cup stadiums. This was a last-minute decision, and it has caused some fans to question whether or not the host country will be able to keep the promises it made to fans.
The declaration comes only two days before the start of the World Cup on Sunday. This will be the first time that the tournament has been conducted in a conservative Muslim country with rigorous controls on alcohol and a public drinking ban for alcoholic beverages.
“Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations, and licenced venues,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement. This decision was made in order to remove sales points of beer from the perimeters of Qatar’s stadiums that will be hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
The Football Supporters’ Association of England has stated that this move raises worries regarding Qatar’s capacity to fulfil its pledges to visiting fans on “accommodation, travel, or cultural issues.”
The organisers of the tournament in Qatar have promised attendees for years that they will have easy access to alcoholic beverages during the event.
“Some fans like a beer at the match, and some don’t, but the real issue is the last-minute U-turn which speaks to a wider problem — the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee toward supporters,” the association said in a statement that was posted on Twitter. “The real issue is the last-minute U-turn which speaks to a wider problem — the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee toward supporters.”
Qatar is preparing for the arrival of 1.2 million supporters throughout the month-long competition. This number represents more than a third of the Gulf Arab state’s total population of 3 million people. Qatar is the smallest country to ever hold a World Cup tournament.
Within the ticketed zone around each of the eight stadiums during the World Cup, alcoholic beer was going to be sold only by Budweiser, which is controlled by the beer manufacturer AB InBev. This was to take place three hours before each game and one hour after each game.
According to a statement released by AB InBev, “some of the planned stadium activations cannot proceed forward owing to circumstances beyond our control.” [Citation needed]
Someone working for the corporation had provided a pithier analysis of the problem at hand. On the official Twitter account for Budweiser, there was a post that stated, “Well, this is embarrassing…” The comment was removed after it was initially posted, but the BBC nevertheless showed a screengrab of it.
Since 1985, the year before the World Cup was contested in Mexico, Budweiser has been one of the official sponsors of the competition. It has begun its largest campaign to date for the year 2022, which will include activities for Budweiser and other brands in over 70 regions and at 1.2 million pubs, restaurants, and retail outlets.
Because of the customary increase in beer consumption that occurs during the World Cup, the Belgian manufacturer of beer brands such as Stella Artois and Corona clearly wants to profit from the millions of dollars that it pays to be a sponsor of the event.
On the other hand, it has been stated that those earnings will come more from fans who watch the event on television rather than from consumption at the event’s location.
According to the statement that was released, the organisers of the tournament “appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuing support to our joint commitment to care for everyone during the FIFA World Cup.”
Protracted discussions and talks
A source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters on the condition of anonymity that the stadium switch was the result of lengthy discussions between FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Budweiser, and executives from Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), which is in charge of organising the World Cup.
The Supreme Court did not react to a request for comment made by Reuters, and FIFA did not confirm Infantino’s participation.
According to the source, “a greater number of fans are attending from throughout the Middle East and South Asia,” two regions in which drinking alcohol does not play as significant of a role in the culture.
The idea behind this was that many of the attendees would find the presence of alcohol to be detrimental to their enjoyment of the event.
Inside of the stadium VIP suites, where FIFA’s website boasts that guests can enjoy a variety of beers, Champagne, sommelier-selected wines, and premium spirits, alcohol will continue to be served unrestrictedly throughout the match.
According to the statement, Budweiser will be selling its non-alcoholic beer around the stadium precincts for a price of $8.25 per half litre.
Since Qatar was awarded the rights to host the World Cup in 2010, many people have been curious about what part alcohol will play in this year’s tournament. Even though Qatar is not a “dry state” like its neighbour Saudi Arabia, it is against the law to consume alcoholic beverages in public areas.
Even from the duty-free portion of the airport, visitors are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages into Qatar, and the country’s one and only liquor store does not sell alcohol to the vast majority of customers. Some hotels have bars that sell alcoholic beverages; the price of a half-liter of beer is often around $15.
According to the source, Budweiser will continue to sell alcoholic beer at the main FIFA Fan Fest in the centre of Doha, where the price of a half-liter of the beverage is approximately $14. In addition, alcoholic beverages will be served in certain additional fan zones, while others will remain alcohol-free.
“Fans are free to choose their own path without the risk of being made to feel awkward. This wasn’t always the case at stadiums, but now that it is, “according to the source.
