Qatar stuns Fifa with beer ban call
Only three days before kickoff, Qatari hosts were putting pressure on Fifa to perform a complete U-turn on the beer policy at the World Cup and stop selling Budweiser at the eight stadiums hosting matches.
An announcement is expected today but it is understood that 48 hours before Qatar face Ecuador in the tournament opener on Monday, it is likely that fans will be told they cannot buy beer at any games.
If Budweiser, one of Fifa’s main sponsors, is not allowed either to sell its product or have any visibility at the matches, then football’s world governing body will be in breach of a multimillion-dollar contract.
As it stands, the only place it is certain that beer will be available to football fans is at the Doha fan parks.
Considerable pressure has been put on Fifa by the Qatar 2022 organisers about the availability of beer at the stadiums. It is understood this has come at the insistence of Qatar’s Al Thani royal family.
The late intervention has come as a shock to Fifa, and talks were continuing late last night.
Fifa has already made one concession this week, when Qatar 2022 insisted that the Budweiser stands were too obtrusive and had them moved into positions where they would be less visible.
It is highly unusual for a change such as this to be made to an agreement with a sponsor so close to the start of a big event. However, it now appears that the tournament organisers wish to push even further.
It has long appeared that Qatar 2022 has had the whip hand in its relationship with Fifa. It was only three months ago that it requested the start date of the tournament be brought forward by a day, so that the Qatar team, as the hosts, could have the opening day all to themselves.
This late change of position from Qatar 2022 is an indication of the lack of comfort that the host country feels about the month ahead.
Qatar is a dry nation with alcohol normally available only in certain hotels in Doha, but it had appeared to have accepted the reality that it would have to relax its alcohol laws during the tournament.
The latest move raises the prospect of hospitality boxes being the only places inside stadiums serving alcohol. The cost of a suite starts at US$22,450 (NZ$36,600) for a box for one match and the hospitality suppliers have said they will not be affected by the restrictions on alcohol.
The advertising for the hospitality suites promises a ‘‘selection of drinks available according to custom and preference; soft drinks, beers, champagne, sommelier-selected wines and premium spirits’’ and that these will be available ‘‘before, during and after matches’’.