Qatar banned beer in World Cup stadiums

Just as the hourglass sand that will start the next Qatar's World Cup is running out, the organizers are moving the stands and areas dedicated to the sale and consumption of beer out of the stadiums. The decision in fact came, according to credible sources, directly from the Qatari royal family and has taken Budweiser, the official FIFA sponsor, by surprise. Budweiser has expressed its disbelief at the situation through its social channels. Indeed, not only will the ban on consuming (alcoholic) beer inside the stadiums result in incalculable damage to the image of the US company, but the manner in which the organisation is doing so will not even allow for a simple logistical solution. Budweiser stated that it only became aware of the new plan on Saturday, eight days before the opening match of the tournament.

Always linked to the enjoyment of the match, live or otherwise, beer consumption over the years has been increasingly regulated during major sporting events for fear that the preponderant presence of alcohol in stadiums could upset the local population and represent a potential security problem. Moreover, in Qatar, a conservative and confessional country of Muslim faith, the serving of alcohol is extremely restricted and almost exclusively confined to hotels for foreigners. Ever since FIFA awarded the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, it has had to strike a balance between agreements with the various sponsors and the traditional culture of the host country. A balance that has not always worked, as this latest Budweiser-related complication demonstrates. On the other hand, the brewery spends around 75 million dollars every four years to associate itself with the most watched football event in the world and did not take the latest decision of FIFA and Qatar with sportsmanship.