A late ban of stadium sales of Budweiser beer, a World Cup sponsor, by Qatar is the event’s latest trouble.
DOHA, Qatar — Qatar banned the sale of beer at World Cup stadiums Friday, a sudden U-turn on the deal the conservative Muslim emirate made to secure the tournament with only two days to go before the opening game.
The move was the latest sign of the tension of staging the event, which is not just a sports tournament but also a month-long party, in the autocratic country where the sale of alcohol is heavily restricted. It’s also a significant blow to World Cup beer sponsor Budweiser and raised questions about how much control FIFA retains over its tournament.
When Qatar launched its bid to host the World Cup, the country agreed to FIFA’s requirements of selling alcohol in stadiums, but the details were released only in September, 11 weeks before the first kickoff, suggesting how fraught the negotiations may have been. Friday’s statement from FIFA said nonalcoholic beer will still be sold at the eight stadiums, while champagne, wine, whiskey and other alcohol will be served in the luxury hospitality areas of the arenas.
But the vast majority of ticket holders don’t have access to those areas; they will be able to drink alcoholic beer in the evenings in what is known as the FIFA Fan Festival, a designated party area that also offers live music and activities. Outside the tournament-run areas, Qatar puts strict limits on the purchase and consumption of alcohol, though its sale has been permitted in hotel bars for years.
“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 … stadium perimeters,” FIFA said in a statement.
As the news broke, Budweiser’s Twitter account tweeted: “Well, this is awkward …” without elaborating. The tweet was later deleted.
Ab InBev, the parent company of Budweiser, acknowledged in a statement that some of its plans “cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control.”
The company pays tens of millions of dollars at each World Cup for exclusive rights to sell beer and has already shipped the majority of its stock from Britain to Qatar in expectation of selling its product to millions of fans. While the sales at the tournament might not be a significant percentage of the massive company’s revenues, the World Cup nonetheless represents a major branding opportunity.
The company’s partnership with FIFA started at the 1986 tournament, and they are in negotiations for renewing their deal for the next World Cup in North America.
Qatar, which is governed by a hereditary emir who has absolute say over all governmental decisions, follows an ultraconservative form of Islam known as Wahhabism, like neighboring Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Qatar has transformed into an ultramodern hub following a natural gas boom in the 1990s, but it has faced pressure from within to stay true to its Islamic heritage and Bedouin roots. Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol.
In the run-up to the World Cup, rights groups have raised concerns about how the nation will host millions of foreign fans, some of whom might violate Islamic laws criminalizing public drunkenness, sex outside marriage and homosexuality.
Qatar’s government and its Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy did not respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press.
Friday’s was not Qatar’s first backtrack, but it was the most significant. Last weekend, AB InBev was left surprised by a new policy insisted on by Qatari organizers to move beer stalls to less visible locations within the stadium compounds.