The sale of alcohol to fans at World Cup stadiums in Qatar has been banned with just two days to go until the tournament kicks off.
Fans will no longer be able to buy Budweiser, which would have been the only alcoholic beverage available to fans due to its sponsorship of FIFA.
Now no one attending matches will be able to consume alcohol within the stadium perimeter, with the exception of corporate spectators.
FIFA released a statement confirming the removal of sales points of beer from the stadium perimeters "following discussions between the host country authorities and FIFA".
It is understood Qatar, as hosts, are concerned about the impact of alcohol sales on fans for whom drinking is not part of the culture - not just Qataris but people from other parts of the Middle East and Asia more widely.
Supporters will still be able to consume alcohol in designated fan zones, but the incident throws into question the degree to which FIFA has control over the tournament.
World Cup organisers have opted to move the goalposts on the sale of beer in stadiums in Qatar, with fans now unable to imbibe beer – unless they have access to a hospitality box. pic.twitter.com/3HDimHIEb6
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) November 18, 2022
It will have an unhappy sponsor on its hands in Budweiser.
The brewing company is reported to pay FIFA $75m (€72.3m) every four years to be one of its top-level partners, and it will be interesting to see what impact this has on the commercial deal.
The company tweeted from its main account on Friday: "Well, this is awkward" - a post which was then deleted.
FIFA said in a statement: "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.
"There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero, which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.
"Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.
"The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022."
'Very bad start'
Sean Ó Conaill, Vice Dean of the School of Law at University College Cork and an expert on sports economics, said the alcohol ban is a "very interesting example" of how Qatar is using its power and position to "force their own will on FIFA".
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Mr Ó Conaill said it is a "very bad start" to the World Cup.
He said Qatar has spent an "astronomical" amount and is hoping to show what it can do and demonstrate that it is a world player.
He said Qatar’s gamble is that once the football starts, people will stop speaking about human rights issues.
That has worked in the past, he said, citing the last world cup in Russia as an example.
"From an organisation and a sporting point of view that was deemed a successful world cup but it was on the back of Russia having annexed Crimea, it was on the back of the Malaysian Airlines flight being downed," he said.
"Russia was allowed to continue with the World Cup and seen as almost getting away with that because they hosted a good tournament.
"That’s the gamble that the Qataris are hoping will pay off for them."
Mr Ó Conaill said there could be "real knock-on consequences" for FIFA going forward and that there has been a "hugely significant drop" in the number of football fans travelling to this world cup.
"People are voting with their feet – they're not happy with prices, they’re not happy with the regime and they’re not happy with the general atmosphere," he said.
"As we’re seeing this situation develop it’s kind of understandable why people are choosing those choices."
Follow every game from the 2022 FIFA World Cup via live blogs on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, or watch live on RTÉ Television and RTÉ Player, starting with Qatar v Ecuador on Sunday from 2.30pm
