After FIFA and the host nation Qatar confirmed that stadium sales will not take place, the owner of the famous American beer brand Budweiser claimed on Friday that the limits during World Cup events were ‘beyond our control’. A corporate representative for AB InBev stated in a statement to AFP that ‘some of the scheduled stadium activations cannot move forward owing to circumstances beyond our control’. The firm recognised the action taken just days before the first match kicked off on Sunday.
This choice was made, according to several media outlets, after the royal family got involved in the situation just two days before the main event in Qatar began. FIFA is now in a difficult situation because they already signed a contract with the German beer brand Budweiser, which is thought to be worth close to $75 million. Three hours before a match and one hour after it, the latter were required to sell their beers in the designated drinking areas inside the stadiums.
The move was made, according to a source who spoke to Reuters, because ‘a greater number of fans are attending from throughout the Middle East and South Asia, where alcohol doesn’t play such a significant role in the culture’. The idea was that having alcohol around would not make for a good experience for many fans.
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