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Alcohol will not be sold at the World Cup\u2019s eight stadiums in Qatar after Fifa changed its policy two days before the start of the tournament.<\/p>\n
Alcohol was set to be served\u00a0\u201cin select areas within stadiums\u201d, despite its sale being strictly controlled in the Muslim country.<\/p>\n
Those in corporate areas of stadiums at the tournament will still be able to purchase alcohol.<\/p>\n
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The World Cup starts on Sunday when Qatar play Ecuador.<\/p>\n
Budweiser, a major sponsor of Fifa, is owned by beer maker AB InBev and had exclusive rights to sell beer at the World Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing 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\u2019s Fifa World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters,\u201d said a statement from world football\u2019s governing body.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar\u2019s World Cup stadiums.<\/p>\n
\u201cHost country authorities and Fifa will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev\u2019s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n
Budweiser posted a message on Twitter on Friday saying, \u201cWell, this is awkward\u201d before the post was later deleted.<\/p>\n
An AB InBev spokesperson said that they could not proceed with \u201csome of the planned stadium activations\u201d because of \u201ccircumstances beyond our control\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Football Supporters\u2019 Association (FSA) criticised the timing of the decision to ban the sale of beer for most fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome fans like a beer at a game and some don\u2019t, but the real issue is the last minute U-turn which speaks to a wider problem \u2013 the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee towards supporters,\u201d\u00a0said an FSA spokesperson.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf they can change their minds on this at a moment\u2019s notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfil other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues.\u201d<\/p>\n In August, Fifa changed the start date of the World Cup so that the first game of the competition would be Qatar facing Ecuador.<\/p>\n The game was scheduled to be played on 21 November as the third game, with Senegal against the Netherlands set to be the opening match earlier that day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n