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Gianni Infantino (Source - Twitter)
The biggest football competition in the world is about to start. This is going to be the 22nd edition of the Fifa World Cup. Qatar will be hosting the 2022 Fifa World Cup and the first match will be played between them and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium in Al-Khor.
Fifa announced on Friday that alcohol is prohibited inside stadiums during the 2022 World Cup. The decision brought criticism as fans were devastated after the announcement. Gianni Infantino, the FIFA President, addressed the fans on Saturday and said that the football fans can ‘survive’ without beer for three hours.
"We tried until the end to see whether it was possible," Infantino said of allowing alcohol sales. "If for 3 hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive. Maybe there is a reason why in France, in Spain, in Scotland, alcohol is banned in stadiums. Maybe they are more intelligent than us, having thought maybe we should be doing that.” Gianni said.
The decision is beyond our control: Budweiser (beer-selling company)
Many fans have already made their way to Qatar to cheer their respective country. But many were furious to hear the news of the alcohol ban on Friday. Budweiser addressed the fans on the decision to alcohol ban on Friday and said that the decision is ‘beyond our control.' It is unclear what prompted the ban so close to the tournament.
"Tournament organizers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continued support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup," the FIFA president said. The statement ends any further discussion on the decision to ban alcohol.
However, some fans welcomed the decision of the alcohol ban firmly as they knew the rules will be different in Qatar and the tournament is not about drinking alcohol at all. Qatari officials have decided that the only drinks that will be on sale to fans at games will be non-alcoholic. The World Cup will take place from 20 November to 18 December 2022. It is also heard that this World Cup will be the last for some of the legendary players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.