Alcohol will not be sold at Qatar’s eight World Cup stadiums after Fifa amended its policy two days before the tournament’s start.
Alcohol was to be served “in select locations within stadiums,” even though its sale in the Muslim country was highly regulated.
Those in corporate zones of tournament venues will continue to be permitted to purchase alcohol.
Sunday marks the opening of the World Cup as Qatar takes against Ecuador.
Budweiser, a key Fifa sponsor, is owned by the brewer AB InBev, which had exclusive rights to sell beer at the World Cup.
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 attractions, and licensed establishments, removing beer sales points from the perimeters of Qatar’s Fifa World Cup 2022 stadiums.
“There is no effect on the sale of Bud Zero, which will continue to be accessible at all World Cup venues in Qatar.
“Authorities of the host nation and Fifa will continue to ensure that all supporters have an entertaining, polite, and pleasant experience in the stadiums and surrounding regions.
“The tournament organizers are grateful for AB InBev’s understanding and ongoing support of our collaborative commitment to accommodate everyone during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”
Friday, Budweiser tweeted, “Well, this is awkward,” but then deleted the tweet.
A spokeswoman for AB InBev stated that “several of the planned stadium activations” were canceled due to “circumstances beyond our control.”
The Football Supporters Association (FSA) criticized the timing of the prohibition on alcohol sales for the majority of spectators.
An FSA representative stated, “Some fans prefer beer while others don’t, but the main issue is the last-minute U-turn, which speaks to a larger problem – the lack of communication and clarity from the organizing committee towards supporters.”
“If they can change their minds on this in a moment’s notice with no explanation, fans will understandably be concerned about whether they will keep their other pledges regarding housing, transportation, and cultural issues.”
Fifa adjusted the start date of the World Cup in August so that Qatar would face Ecuador in the opening match.
The game was slated to take place on 21 November as the third game of the day, with Senegal versus the Netherlands being the day’s opening encounter.
