Soccer World Cup in Qatar
No beer in the stands in Qatar – but in the stadium area
Flags in the colors of Qatar and a FIFA flag can be seen behind palm trees. Photo: Christian Charisius/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
At the World Cup in Qatar, alcoholic beer will probably not be allowed in the stands – but in the immediate vicinity of the stadiums.
At the World Cup in Qatar, alcoholic beer will probably not be allowed in the stands – but in the immediate vicinity of the stadiums.
Immediately before and after the games, beer is to be served in an area between security and ticket control, as the German Press Agency learned. According to the plans, only non-alcoholic beer will be allowed in the arenas themselves.
However, a final agreement between the Qatari organizers and the world association FIFA has yet to be officially announced. The “final plans for fan activities in the host country” would be announced “in due course”, said a spokesman for the Qatar organizing committee.
Football fans can also drink alcohol in fan zones during the World Cup from November 21 to December 18. That was also the case in 2019 at the Club World Cup in the Islamic conservative country. At that time, half a liter of draft beer cost the equivalent of around 6.20 euros. Vodka, whiskey and gin were also on offer. A bottle of red wine cost the equivalent of about 27 euros.
Unlike in neighboring Saudi Arabia, alcohol is not completely banned in Qatar, but it is only served to a very limited extent in bars or restaurants of certain hotels. Foreigners can also buy it in a shop, but must be older than 21 and need a permit to do so.
“Alcohol is already available in Qatar in designated areas such as hotels and bars and that will not change in 2022,” said the spokesman for the organizing committee. “To accommodate the fans, there will be alcohol in other designated areas during the tournament.”