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Alcoholic beer will not be sold in Qatar’s World Cup stadiums, FIFA announced on Friday, a last-minute change that has raised concerns among some fans about the host country’s ability to keep promises made to fans.
The announcement comes two days before the World Cup begins on Sunday, the first to be held in a conservative Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol consumption in public.
“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,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement.
The Football Supporters’ Association of England expressed concern about Qatar’s ability to fulfil its promises to visiting fans regarding “accommodation, transportation, or cultural issues.”
For years, Qatar’s tournament organisers have stated that alcohol would be widely available to tournament attendees.
“Some fans like a beer at the match, 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 organising committee towards supporters,” the association said in a statement on Twitter.
Qatar, the smallest country to host a World Cup, is expecting 1.2 million fans, or more than a third of the Gulf Arab state’s 3 million population, during the month-long tournament.
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