Qatar has banned the sale of beer in and around stadiums and will only allow the sale of alcohol in fan zones and licensed outlets, such as certain hotels.
FIFA had agreed with Qatar, a country that does not allow the free sale of alcohol, that beer could also be drunk in stadiums, a decision that was finally revoked just two days after the start of the 2022 World Cup.
KNOW MORE: Within hours of the inauguration, Qatar wants to ban the sale of beer in stadiums
“After discussions with the host country and FIFA the decision has been made that only alcoholic beverages in the ‘fan zones’ and authorized and licensed points for it, and not on the perimeter of the stadiums,” FIFA said in a statement.
It remains to be seen how the sponsorship that the World Cup had with Budweiser, official beer distributor during the tournament, suffers. and what now it will only be able to sell its non-alcoholic version in the stadiums.
Budweiser’s response thus far has been to post a tweet with the following message: “Well this is awkward.”
Qatar is a country where alcohol consumption is highly restricted and it can barely be consumed in some Doha hotels. During the World Cup this regulation has been relaxed, but it is still not possible to buy alcohol in supermarkets, in addition to high prices, with a liter of beer above 13 euros and a glass of whiskey beyond 40 euros.
In order to cope with the tournament, ‘happy hours’ have been set up in hotels, ‘fan zones’ and stadiums and the sale of alcohol has been allowed, although with restrictions, so that people cannot buy more than two beers at the same time. weather.
