Because attending sporting events and drinking a cold alcoholic beverages go so well together, many soccer fans have already started worrying about a potential ban on beer for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That’s not the plan, the event’s organizers say, at least, not so far.
Earlier this week, Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery, told a local newspaper that he doesn’t want alcohol served at World Cup games, Bloomberg reports. Because while beer, wine and liquor are sold in Qatar in some hotels and to foreign residents who hold special permits, it’s illegal to drink alcohol or be drunk in public in the country.
But yesterday, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura sought to assure fans, saying there’s no ban because negotiations over what food and beverage will be served in the stadiums haven’t even happened yet.
“We are going to reach a stage when we discuss not only alcohol but food as well,” Samoura said. “We do respect the customs and the culture of the country.”
Indeed, a ban on beer could prove tough for sponsors like Budweiser, which is longtime, top-tier sponsor of FIFA.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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