Host country Qatar has banned the sale of alcohol in and around the World Cup two days before the global tournament begins, FIFA confirmed in a statement on Friday.
When Qatar won the hosting rights to the World Cup in 2010, officials there agreed to sell alcohol at event stadiums, The New York Times reported. Two days away from the World Cup’s commencement, the Qatari government reversed its decision.
“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,” the soccer organization said.
People can buy alcoholic beverages at permitted fan zones after 6:30 p.m. local time, and drunk fans will be sent to sober up at special zones, CNBC reported.
The consumption of alcohol is permitted among tourists in the Gulf nation, and the Qatari government strictly controls its sale and consumption with many licensed hotels and restaurants being permitted. Nonalcoholic Bud Zero will still be sold at the Qatar stadium.
The World Cup begins Sunday and goes through Dec. 18. Teams from 32 countries will compete against each other including Team USA, which hasn’t qualified for the event since 2014.
