Beer Won't Be Sold At The 2022 World Cup

It's hard to imagine a sporting event without stadium food and beer, but the latter will be missing from the 2022 World Cup when it starts on November 20 in Qatar. Previously, an agreement was reached between FIFA and Qatari officials that would have allowed for the sale of alcoholic beverages in specified areas inside and outside the event stadiums, but not in its concourses, reports Yahoo! Sports.

Alcohol is permitted in Qatar but is highly regulated, per Doha Guides, such as it is illegal to drink alcohol in public. Qatar also allows tourists and non-Muslim residents to drink alcohol in private as long as they act accordingly (like not becoming intoxicated and causing problems). Even so, FIFA, longtime FIFA sponsor Budweiser, and Qatar appeared to agree on how alcohol could be consumed during the World Cup. However, about a week before the 2022 World Cup was set to begin, beer tents were moved to more out-of-the way locations, reported CBS Sports.

Things changed quickly, and it was officially announced on November 18 that there would be no beer sales at the 2022 World Cup stadiums, per an announcement from FIFA. Nonalcoholic Bud Zero will still be sold at the stadiums. 

"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," reads the statement. When the World Cup starts on Sunday, the FIFA and Qatar officials will work to make sure the stadiums and areas near them "provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans."

"As partners of FIFA for over three decades, we look forward to our activations of FIFA World Cup campaigns around the world to celebrate football with our consumers," an Anheuser-Busch InBev spokesperson said in a statement. "Some of the planned stadium activations cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control."

When beer sales were anticipated to be allowed at the 2022 World Cup, the cost was expected to be about $14 each, reported CBS Sports. There will still be opportunities for alcohol consumption at five fan zones in Qatar, where there will be performances, food, and fans will be able to screen the games.