Qatar strictly limits the sale of alcohol and bans its consumption in public places. It has rolled back exceptions for the World Cup.
DOHA, Qatar — World Cup organizers said Friday that they were abandoning plans to sell beer around match stadiums, a reversal after Qatar previously said that beer would be sold “within the stadium perimeter” for designated periods before and after World Cup matches.A statement by FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, said the decision came “following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA,” but did not give any further detail on the reasons for the decision.
The move comes just two days before the monthlong tournament kicks off with the host country playing Ecuador. More than 1 million visitors are expected to attend the 64 matches being staged in eight stadiums in greater Doha. Ab InBev, which owns Budweiser, paid a reported $75 million for World Cup sponsorship rights. It remains unclear how the about-face would affect that deal.
“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," said the FIFAQatar, a conservative Muslim country, strictly limits the sale of alcohol and bans its consumption in public places.
For more than a decade, fans and human rights activists have worried that world cup attendees would come into collision with Qatar’s conservative laws, including those that criminalize sex for LGBTQ people and many forms of protest. The change on beer, while narrow, could spark fears of broader rollbacks of policies meant to accommodate international visitors.
In a its own statement, Budweiser noted that it had been a partner with FIFA for more than three decades and said that “some of the planned stadium activations cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control.”
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Qatar World Cup set to ban alcohol sales at stadiums, World Cup official tells CNN | CNNQatar World Cup organizers are set to announce a ban on alcohol sales on Friday, a World Cup official told CNN.
Leer más »
World Cup 2022: Qatar bans alcoholic beer in and around World Cup stadiumsThe ban means that the compromise of selling beer outside of stadiums but not in them is no more.
Leer más »
World Cup 2022: Qatar bans alcoholic beer in and around World Cup stadiumsDOHA — Alcoholic beer will not be sold in and around World Cup stadiums after all, according to a Friday announcement from organizers that represents a stunning reversal two days before the tournament.
Leer más »
World Cup organizers in Qatar will reportedly ban beer sales at all eight stadiumsQatari authorities are pressing FIFA to ban all sales of long-time World Cup beer sponsor Budweiser at the eight venues, according to media reports.
Leer más »
Qatar Bans Beer Sales at World Cup StadiumsAfter more than a decade of speculation surrounding how the Qatar World Cup would handle thirsty soccer fans, organizers abruptly said beer would no longer be available within the perimeter of the stadiums.
Leer más »
Qatar World Cup: Beer sales banned at all game venues, FIFA confirmsBudweiser's parent company pays tens of millions of dollars at each World Cup for exclusive rights to sell beer. But this year in Qatar, the sale of all alcohol has been banned.
Leer más »