Just two days before the start of the Football World Cup, the host nation Qatar banned the sale of beer in World Cup stadiums, disappointing a sizable number of football fans. It dealt a serious blow to World Cup beer sponsor Budweiser and made people wonder how much power FIFA still had over the competition.
The owner of American beer juggernaut Budweiser asserted on Friday that limitations at World Cup events were ‘beyond our control’ in response to FIFA and the host nation’s declaration that sales at stadiums would not proceed.
Three hours before and one hour after each game, Budweiser, the World Cup sponsor owned by the brewer AB InBev, was to be the sole distributor of alcoholic beverages in the ticketed area surrounding each of the eight stadiums.
A company representative for AB InBev said in a statement that the decision was made just days before the first match began on Sunday. The spokesperson added that ‘Some of the scheduled stadium activations cannot proceed due to events outside of our control.’
The statement claimed that the tournament’s organisers ‘appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuing support to our collaborative commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup.’
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