Beer has been prominently featured at the World Cup for years with the event even having a massive deal with Budweiser to provide alcohol for the global event. But it looks like there won’t be any beer at any of the eight stadiums at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after an abrupt decision.
Though Qatar is a conservative Islamic nation with strict rules regarding alcohol, there initially seemed to be a plan in place for alcohol sales and consumption outside the eight World Cup stadiums. However, the Qatari royal family reportedly got uneasy at the sight of alcohol sales at visible tents just outside of the stadiums and ordered them to be moved to less-visible locations. But now, there won’t be beer sales outside of the stadiums at all.
“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 destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from … stadium perimeters,” FIFA said in a statement, according to the New York Post.
Given the cultural issues with alcohol, the social issues and human rights violations in the country, and the obvious fact that the country was not prepared to host an event of this size, it’s clear the Qatar never should have hosted this event. Even former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who was at the head of the organization when Qatar was awarded the bid, admits that Qatar’s World Cup bid was a mistake.
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