Qatar 2022 World Cup: FIFA has confirmed there will be no sale of alcohol in Qatar stadiums

The classic postcards of fans, especially Europeans, who drink beers in stadiums during the World Cup will not be in Qatar. The authorities of the host country and FIFA announced this Friday. In a last minute twist, There will be no sale of alcohol on or around the fields.

Prohibition It was made official two days before the start of the competition with a statement and canceled the decision taken in September, which allowed the sale of alcohol.

Alcohol consumption is heavily regulated in the Islamic nation, but organizers had agreed to set times for beer to be sold before and after matches outside the eight stadiums.

Without clarifying the reasons for the new decision, the release states: “Following discussions between the authorities of the organizing country and FIFA, the decision has been taken to concentrate the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other meeting places for fans and licensed venues and remove beer outlets from the perimeter of World Cup stadiums”.

Last September, FIFA reported that fans could buy Budweiser beer inside the eight host stadiums, but not at street kiosks before and after matches, and only at the “Fan Festival” at night. to be held in a central park in Doha.

Tickets promising access to champagne, wine, spirits and beer in stadiums for hotel guests had been on sale since February 2021 as part of business packages offering “premium drinks”.

The beer rules that matter most to fans were announced 11 weeks before the opening game and fulfilled an expectation since Qatar began its campaign 12 years ago to host the first World Cup in the Middle East.

Budweiser is a major sponsor and has been the exclusive beer of the World Cup since 1986, and its parent company AB Inbev renewed its contract with FIFA in 2011 until 2022. When it launched its bid in 2009, the Arab country had promised to respect those commercial agreements of the mother body of football

Access to alcoholic beverages is higher in Qatar than in other Middle Eastern countries. They are served in hotel restaurants and licensed bars. Outside these premises, consumption is illegal.

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The owner of American beer giant Budweiser, a major sponsor of the World Cup for three decades, said these restrictions on alcohol are beyond his control.

For the FSA, the English fans’ association, “this last-minute turnaround illustrates a wider problem: the total lack of communication and transparency on the part of the organizing committee towards the fans”.

“If they can change their minds at any time, fans will understandably have concerns about their ability to deal with other issues, such as housing, transport and cultural issues,” warned the FSA, which will have thousands of members in Doha on Monday for the debut against Iran.

Since its designation as the venue, Qatar has been subject to numerous criticisms ranging from allegations of corruption for the appointment to the treatment received by migrant workers, respect for the rights of women and the LGBTIQ+ community or the environmental impact of the tournament.

According to the British newspaper Timeswho advanced the decision on Friday, the reversal of alcohol sales is the result of “significant pressure” from Qatar’s leadership, including the ruling family.

With the information of the Agencies