World Cup organizers in Qatar have finalized a policy to serve beer alongside alcohol to soccer fans in stadiums and fan zones in the Muslim-majority country.
FIFA said on Saturday fans would be allowed to buy alcoholic Budweiser beer inside the eight stadium compounds - though not at the concourse concession stands - before and after games, only during an official "fan festival" in the evening.
It takes place in a downtown park in Doha. Game tickets will go on sale from February 2021, offering hospitality clients at Qatari stadiums access to champagnes, wine, spirits and beer as part of corporate packages offering "premium drinks". The beer policy, which will affect most fans, was announced 11 weeks before the first match and fulfills an expectation 12 years ago after Qatar campaigned to host the first World Cup in the Middle East. Budweiser has been the exclusive World Cup beer brand since 1986, and parent company AB InBev renewed its contract with FIFA until 2022 in a 2011 signing after Qatar secured hosting. Fifa announced on Saturday that alcoholic Budweiser will be sold within the confines of the stadium before kickoff and after the final whistle.
Although more alcohol is available in Qatar than in some Middle East states, alcohol is only available in licensed hotel restaurants and bars. It is illegal to consume it anywhere else. However, Qatar has had to relax alcohol restrictions for the 29-day tournament starting November 20. It is expected to attract more than 1 million visitors to the tiny emirate, including fans from 31 other countries. Qatar has experimented with alcohol policies at games soccer, including the 2019 Club World Cup, which featured then-European champions Liverpool, South American champions Flamengo and Mexican club Monterrey.
