FIFA has confirmed that alcohol will not be sold at the Qatar World Cup.
Alcohol will not be sold inside stadiums or at the Brand Activation Areas within the stadium perimeters.
“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 licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters,” read a statement from FIFA.
“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.
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“Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful, and pleasant experience for all fans.
“The tournament organizers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continued support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™️.”
Previously, ticket-holders were told they would be able to buy Budweiser at the Brand Activation Areas within the stadium perimeter. Although three hours prior to kick-off and one hour after the final whistle.
Inside the actual stadiums, fans were only ever able to buy Budweiser Zero – which is non-alcoholic – and Coca-Cola. Now, however, alcohol will not be sold inside the stadium perimeters.
The decision comes after Qatari authorities reportedly applied pressure on FIFA to stop selling Budweiser at the eight hosting stadiums.
Thus, currently, the only place beer is certain to be available is at fan parks, or at special-licensed other areas.
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FIFA breach of contract
It’s reported that if FIFA acquiesced to the request, it would put them in breach of a multimillion-dollar contract with Budweiser.
The decision to ban alcohol consumption comes just two days before Qatar kicks the tournament off against Ecuador.
The ban will not impact hospitality boxes. However, the cost of a suite starts at £19,000.
The move is greeted with criticism from the Football Supporters Association, which said in a statement:
“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 organizing committee towards supporters.
“If they can change their minds on this at a moment’s notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfill other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues.”
