Why Qatar Ban Alcohol Sales At World Cup Stadiums

Less than 48hours before the World Cup in Qatar gets underway, Fifa announced that alcohol will be prohibited for World Cup fans at stadiums. This is a significant and unusual U-turn.

In a brief statement released on Friday afternoon, Fifa confirmed the news that it will not be sold inside or near stadium boundaries.

The information was announced by the world’s governing body of football in a tweet.

“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 World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters.

“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero, which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.”

It added: “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 organisers appreciate AB InBev’s [the brewer of Budweiser, Anheuser-Busch InBev] understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022.”

However, football’s governing body will now be cautiously scanning its legal options as Budweiser, which has a $75 million (£63 million) sponsorship arrangement with Fifa, and is likely to see this as a serious breach of contract, threatens legal action.

Just before the news was made public, a US beer brand tweeted, “Well, this is awkward,” which has since been deleted.

Although Qatar, a conservative Muslim country, severely regulates the sale of alcohol, organizers had promised that it would be accessible in match stadiums and in fan zones and that it would be reasonably priced.

Alcohol will only be sold at events after 7 p.m. in some fan zones for approximately £12 for 500ml of Budweiser and in hospitality boxes, where the least expensive suites cost close to £20,000 per match.

The host nation of Qatar decided that everyone at World Cup stadiums needed to feel comfortable, and that this would not be the case if fans were spotted drinking or showed up intoxicated.

They believe that many of the fans coming from Asian and Gulf nations, where consuming alcohol is not common, will be attending this tournament. While there are certain alcohol-free fan zones in Doha, it might be difficult to avoid drunk people in a stadium.

However, it is unclear why they made this choice now rather than twelve years ago, when they were awarded the opportunity to host the World Cup. Up until recently, organizers have consistently pledged to find a compromise between the preferences of western fans and Qatar’s traditional culture.

The Supreme Committee’s chief of communications, Fatma al-Nuaimi, most recently reaffirmed this message, saying: “When it comes to alcohol, hospitality is part of our tradition, even if alcohol is not. Drinks will be offered in certain areas, particularly in the fan zones. Therefore, it will be in the areas where the fans congregate rather than in plain view on the streets.

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In addition, “ticket holders will have access to Budweiser, Budweiser Zero, and Coca-Cola products within the stadium perimeter” for at least three hours prior to games and for one hour following them, according to the organization’s official fan guide.

The Football Supporters’ Association expressed irritation at the news and questioned whether Qataris could now be relied upon to keep their previous commitments. The last-minute U-turn points to a larger issue – the complete lack of communication and transparency from the organizing committee towards supporters, according to a spokeswoman. “Some fans want a beer during a match, and some don’t, but the main issue is the last-minute U-turn,” the spokesperson added.

“Supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfill other pledges relating to accommodations, transportation, or cultural challenges if they can change their minds about this at any time, without explanation.”

Fans In Qatar Reacts

Fans in Qatar reacted to the ban with a mixture of rage and resignation; 25-year-old England fan Alex Todd called it “madness.” He questioned, “Why is the World Cup here when basic joys are taken away from you?”

German fan Daniel Schwestka, 30, from Dusseldorf, said: ‘Football without beer is not football.’

He added: ‘I go to many matches even in the third German leagues, and you can have a beer. It is normal to drink beer at football and this is the World Cup.

‘When I arrived in Doha yesterday, I had two bottles of whiskey, my luggage and they took it from me at the airport.

‘I knew it was going be difficult to drink here. But how can they ban beer at the actual stadiums. It is ridiculous.’

Brian Davidson, the first fan in Qatar to drink an official World Cup beer said: ‘I’m devastated, it doesn’t make sense. What’s wrong with having a beer at a match?

‘Beer wasn’t going to be sold inside the stadiums anyhow, just on the concourse.

‘Millions of people are coming from all over the world and they just want to watch football, enjoy the sun and knock back a few beers.

‘I’ll just have to go to the Fan Zones or a hotel for a drink but it’s a real pity that the Qataris have implemented this ban.’