Fifa has banned the sale of alcohol at World Cup stadiums, a mere 48 hours before the tournament is due to begin and despite Budweiser having a multi-million dollar deal with the sports governing body.
The World Cup, the most-watched sporting event on the planet, is due to begin in Qatar on Sunday, but soccer fans hoping to get an alcoholic beverage at the games will be left disappointed, the Daily Mail reports.
The tournament has already been the subject of controversy, with a new Netflix documentary shining a light on the alleged bribery to secure Qatar as the host nation.
This will be the first time a country in the Middle East will be hosting the games, and also the first time it will take place in November and December. The usual calendar has the tournament played every four years in June and July, but with temperatures reaching 98F in Qatar during these months, it was deemed unsafe.
Now, after pressure from the country's royal family, no alcohol will be permitted within the stadium. Beer company Budweiser is thought to have a $75 million dollar deal with Fifa, per the Daily Mail.
Fifa released the following statement: "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 Qatar's FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters."
It was thought that Qatar recognized that beer is often part of soccer culture, but the U-turn has angered fans. The Sun cited this comment from The Football Supporters Association: "Some fans like a beer at a game and some don't.
"But the real issue is the last-minute u-turn which speaks to a wider problem - the total lack of communication and clarity from the organizing committee towards supporters.
"If they can change their minds on this at a moment's notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfill other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues."
Budweiser is yet to state whether it will be seeking legal action, though a tweet from its official Twitter account was uploaded and swiftly deleted. The tweet read: "Well this is awkward..."
Despite this news, fans will still be able to purchase alcohol in designated fan zones and beer will be available at the stadiums in corporate hospitality.
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