FIFA will ban alcohol during the 2022 World Cup, including on streets, public squares and in the stadiums.
“I am personally against the provision of alcohol in stadiums and public places based on our values and our traditions and our culture,” the secretary-general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy Al-Thawadi told Arabic newspaper Al-Sharq.
The British government informs travelers to only drink alcohol in licensed hotel restaurants and bars, and adds that bringing your own into the country is a bad idea.
When Brazil tried to push for an alcohol ban in its World Cup stadiums ahead of the 2014 tournament, then-FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke pushed back.
“Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so we’re going to have them,” he said. “Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that’s something we won’t negotiate.”
The strict laws of Qatar have grown serious concerns leading up to the tournament.
Under the law, women must cover their shoulders and dress modestly, being careful of showing too much skin. Homosexuality, meanwhile, is outlawed altogether and punishable by up to seven years in prison for foreigners and expatriates. Qatari natives who identify as LGBT could face death sentences.
