The Qatari royal family is currently pressuring FIFA for a total ban on the selling of alcohol at all the featured World Cup stadiums. This is coming two days before the highly anticipated tournament kicks off.
Recall that the host nation, Qatar, has alcohol sales typically restricted to foreigners drinking them in licensed hotels and restaurants, or non-Muslim residents, with special permits in their homes. The country has now been putting considerable pressure on FIFA to ban the selling of beer at the eight World Cup stadiums.
If the ban gets approved, Budweiser, one of the tournament’s largest sponsors will not be able to sell its beer to fans at the games and this could put FIFA in breach of a multi-million-dollar contract with the company, according to Daily Mail.
Discussions about the ban are still ongoing between Budweiser and FIFA, but the removal of sales of Budweiser beer is most likely after the Qatari royals intervened. The intervention was made by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Qatar’s ruler’s brother.
Notwithstanding, World Cup visitors can purchase alcohol in hotels and restaurants, as well as in fan zones at certain times, and on stadium concourses – but not inside the stadiums.
