The reversal comes ahead of the opening match of the tournament in Qatar on Sunday. Qatar had initially ordered Budweiser stands to be less prominent, but now alcohol will not be sold in the stadiums at all. A source briefed on the decision told Sky News: “These were long discussions and the overall feeling from everyone involved was that stadiums should be for everyone. “This World Cup is different to others as a larger number of fans are attending from across the Middle East and South Asia, where alcohol does not play as much of a role in the culture. The thinking was that, for many fans, the presence of alcohol is not would make for a pleasant experience. “Fan zones will be different as some are clearly designated as serving alcohol, while others are alcohol-free. Fans can decide where they want to go without feeling uncomfortable. In stadiums this was not the case in the past.” Image: A Budweiser beer bar at the FIFA Fan Festival in Doha, Qatar The sale of alcohol is strictly controlled in Qatar and is only allowed in the Muslim nation inside hotel bars and restaurants away from street view. It had to relax its alcohol restrictions to allow FIFA sponsor Budweiser to sell its products outside match venues and fan zones. Now Qatar 2022 wants to go even further – at the insistence of Qatar’s Al Thani royal family – amid talks between FIFA and Budweiser. An announcement is expected later today, but it is understood that 48 hours before Qatar face Ecuador in the tournament opener on Sunday, fans will be told they cannot buy beer at either game. It is unclear whether alcohol will still be available in corporate spaces. A tweet from the official Budweiser account on Friday morning simply said: “Well this is awkward…” One fan responded to the tweet, saying: “Can’t watch England play sober next Monday,” to which Budweiser replied: “Don’t be, we’ll be with you.” Read more:Drunken fans to be sent to special zones to riot Qatar World Cup: Nine stories to watch out for As one of FIFA’s biggest sponsors, Budweiser has the exclusive right to sell beer at World Cup matches. Qatar had told fans they could only buy beer outside the stadium bowl itself, but inside the perimeter for ticket holders, “three hours before kick-off when the gates open and one hour after the final whistle”. . Now, it is understood that beer will only be available in zones that serve alcohol in Qatar after 6.30pm and drunken fans will be sent to special zones to riot. Responding to the request to move its stores, Budweiser owner AB InBev told Sky News: “AB InBev was informed on November 12 and is working with FIFA to relocate concession stores to locations in accordance with the guidelines. “We are working with FIFA to deliver the best possible experience for fans. Our focus is to deliver the best possible consumer experience under the new circumstances.” Footage on social media in recent days shows red Budweiser tents being wheeled around by staff. Click to subscribe to Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts Qatar World Cup organizers said “operational plans are being finalised” when asked about changing the location of the beer stations earlier this week. The World Cup’s governing body told Sky News: “These plans include venue management teams strengthening the overlay requirements for all match venues. This has a direct impact on the location of some fan areas. “Times and number of departure destinations remain the same across all eight World Cup stages.”
