DOHA
\nFootball World Cup organisers have announced that alcoholic drinks will not be offered for sale at stadium sites in Qatar, just two days before the event starts.
\nThe decision on Friday was a reversal of the original plan for major tournament sponsor Budweiser to sell beer around the eight sites, within the ticketing perimeter, for three hours before and one hour after each game.
\nThe new policy means only non-alcoholic beer will be sold at the venues. Alcohol including champagne and whisky will still be available to those in hospitality areas, and beer will be on tap at the FIFA Fan Festival in central Doha.
\nThe World Cup, the first to be held in the Middle East, kicks off on Sunday, with Qatar facing Ecuador.
\nIn a statement, a spokesperson for world football\u2019s governing body FIFA said the decision was taken following discussions with Qatari authorities.
\n\u201cHost country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans,\u201d read the statement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DOHA Football World Cup organisers have announced that alcoholic drinks will not be offered for sale at stadium sites in Qatar, just two days before the event starts. The decision on Friday was a reversal of the original plan for major tournament sponsor Budweiser to sell beer around the eight sites, within the ticketing perimeter, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-296073","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n