World football governing body FIFA has confirmed alcohol will not be sold at stadiums during the World Cup. The decision comes on the eve of the tournament in the Western Asian country of Qatar, where England begin their campaign on Monday, November 21 against Iran.
According to national reports, FIFA had come under pressure from the Qatari royal family to ban sales at games. The move means Budweiser, one of the biggest sponsors of the organisation, will not be available at eight different stadiums. This is a breach of a multi-million dollar contract, The Mirror reports.
A statement read: "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.
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"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 organisers appreciate AB InBev's understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022."
It is expected that the only place in stadiums that will sell alcohol will be hospitality boxes, which start at $22,450 (£19k) for one match. Fans know they can purchase alcohol at fan parks, but the pricing of the drinks has been heavily criticised whilst they can only purchase up to four drinks at a time.
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