Qatar bans sale of beer in World Cup stadiums
Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup has already sparked a number of controversies and now added to the list is a beer sale ban at all eight stadiums in the tournament.
Qatar is a conservative Muslim country with stringent alcohol restrictions, but it accepted FIFA's requirements to sell alcohol in the stadiums when it put in a bid to host the World Cup. However, once the bid was accepted, the topic drew tension between Qatar and FIFA, The New York Times reports.
Just last week, organizers were required to move all their beer stations to less visible locations within the stadiums to make it a less prominent part of the event at the request of the Qatari royalty. However, in negotiations, it was decided that beer would not be sold at all in the stadiums.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In a statement, FIFA said, "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 ... stadium perimeters." Two issues have been raised from this arrangement: FIFA's Budweiser sponsorship and fan access to alcohol.
The event is sponsored by Budweiser, a beer brand, that pays millions to have exclusive rights to sell at the World Cup, reports The Associated Press, and the event is a large brand promotion opportunity. Budweiser's parent company acknowledged this, saying some plans "cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control."
FIFA also said that alcohol would still be served in certain fan destinations and luxury stadium suites, which a large majority of fans won't be able to access. Still, many fans want stadium beer. As Budweiser put it in a since-deleted tweet, "Well, this is awkward."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Harriet Tubman made a general 161 years after raid
Speed Read She was the first woman to oversee an American military action during a time of war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chappell Roan is a new kind of boundary-setting celebrity
In the Spotlight She's calling out fans and the media for invasive behavior
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Saudi crown prince slams Israeli 'genocide' in Gaza
Speed Read Mohammed bin Salman has condemned Israel’s actions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Europe roiled by attacks on Israeli soccer fans
Speed Read Israeli fans supporting the Maccabi Tel Aviv team clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters in 'antisemitic attacks,' Dutch authorities said
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York wins WNBA title, nearly nabs World Series
Speed Read The Yankees with face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the upcoming Fall Classic
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Caitlin Clark the No. 1 pick in bullish WNBA Draft
Speed Read As expected, she went to the Indiana Fever
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
South Carolina ends perfect season with NCAA title
Speed Read The women's basketball team won a victory over superstar Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Iowa's Caitlin Clark breaks NCAA scoring record
speed read College basketball star Caitlin Clark set the new record in Iowa's defeat of Ohio State
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Eight-year-old Brit Bodhana Sivanandan makes chess history
Speed Read Sivanandan has been described as a 'phenomenon' by chess masters
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup: glitz, glamour and 'grimly inevitable'
Talking Point Critics claim country is guilty of sportswashing as it stands unopposed to host tournament
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Watch Simone Biles win her record 8th US gymnastics championship
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published