2022 World Cup: Alcohol Sales Banned at Stadiums in Qatar

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has announced that alcohol sales have been banned in stadiums where games will take place.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by men's national teams. It is scheduled to take place in Qatar in November and December 2022.

In October 2009, Qatar was selected as the host country for the 2022 World Cup, beating out bids from the United States, South Korea and Japan. The decision to award the tournament to Qatar was met with much criticism, as the country had never before hosted a major international event and did not have a strong footballing infrastructure in place.

The 2022 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the most controversial tournaments in history. While some have praised Qatar's efforts to improve its infrastructure, others have criticized the country for its treatment of migrant workers and its human rights record. 

That controversy has gained even more steam now that alcohol sales have been banned in the conservative country. The FIFA statement, while not angry, certainly doesn't seem pleased with the decision from tournament organizers:

“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.

There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.

Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.

The tournament organizer appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™️.”

Budweiser, an important sponsor for FIFA, was the sole beer provider for the World Cup and is now only able to sell beer to "those in corporate areas of stadiums at the tournament."

The company's shock was apparent, as it posted a message on Twitter on Friday saying, "Well, this is awkward," before the post was swiftly deleted.

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