According to the “New York Times”, Qatar took the decision on Friday, November 18 to ban the sale of beer around the stadiums during the World Cup.
By The Point.fr (with AFP)
© PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP
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VSThis World Cup will definitely have another flavor. After asking Budweiser to move its tents out of sight, Qatar and Fifa simply asked the World Cup sponsor to pack up its merchandise, two days before the start of the competition. The supporters of the Mondial will thus have, according to the New York Times who revealed the information, to settle for soft drinks, and in particular Coca-Cola, another major sponsor of the event.
The information was partly confirmed by Fifa, which explains in a press release that it was decided to “remove beer sales points from the perimeters of the stadiums” and to “concentrate the sale of alcoholic beverages” in the fans. authorized areas and establishments, “following discussions between the authorities of the host country and Fifa”. However, no explanation was given.
“Some fans like to have a beer at the game, some don’t. But the real question is that this last minute about-face illustrates a larger problem: the total lack of communication and transparency of the organizing committee towards the supporters”, denounced the FSA, the association of English supporters (FSA), thousands of whom are expected on Monday for their first match against Iran.
The organization’s official fan guide, however, provided that “ticket holders [aient] access to Budweiser, Budweiser Zero and Coca-Cola products within the stadium perimeter” for at least three hours before games and for one hour afterwards. But beer would remain only authorized “in the luxury suites reserved for officials of the International Football Federation (Fifa)” and other guests, in this Muslim country, where the sale of alcohol is tightly controlled. In fact, the New York Times ensures that the world governing body of football, Fifa, “could no longer fully control the major decisions related to its event”.
�� Beer is out at the World Cup.
After all that (alcoholic) beer will now not be sold inside the perimeter at all eight of Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.
Big about-face means FIFA now faces contractual nightmare with Budweiser.
— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) November 18, 2022
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Budweiser, which pays Fifa 75 million dollars per World Cup, has not yet reacted to this announcement, which should not fail to put a damper on the competition and create a real contractual disaster. In their press release, the organizers of the World Cup thank the AB InBev group, of which Budweiser is a part, for its “understanding” and specify that the brand retains the possibility of selling non-alcoholic beers around and inside the stadiums.
This is a turnaround as it was confirmed in early September that beer stands would open around the stadiums from three hours and up to 30 minutes before games start. They were then to reopen for an hour after the final whistle. Only non-alcoholic beers were to be available in stadiums.
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“An order from above”
“I think there is a misconception about the sale of alcohol in stadiums. We operate like any other World Cup,” World Cup CEO Nasser Al-Khater pledged at a September 8 press conference. On Friday morning, tents in the red and white colors of Budweiser were still visible around the international stadiums Khalifa, Ahmed Ben Ali and Lusail, where Agence France-Presse went.
A source close to the organization told AFP that, “for four days”, these tents have been removed from the entrance of the supporters because they are considered “too visible”. “It’s an order that comes from above,” added this source. The VIP areas of the stadiums offer packages including “beers, champagne, wines and spirits”.
In the main Fifa fan zone, buying alcohol is possible from 6:30 p.m. local time. In other private fan zones, the rules vary. In Qatar, consuming alcohol is legal for non-Muslims over 21, but strictly regulated.
It is forbidden to bring it in your luggage, even bought in “duty free”. Residents can get them in a dedicated store that is not open to tourists. Visitors can drink in most international hotels, where a beer or glass of wine can cost around ten euros and a cocktail more than 15 euros. Rules regarding the consumption of alcohol in football stadiums vary from country to country. During the 2014 World Cup, Brazil had lifted the ban on consuming it in its enclosures, at the request of Fifa.
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