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Football fans attending the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia will not be allowed to consume or buy alcohol while attending games, senior officials from the sport’s governing body revealed on Tuesday.
FIFA has not yet released a public statement on the matter, however, senior officials disclosed the decision to the UK’s Guardian newspaper on Tuesday.
In Saudi Arabia, the sale and consumption of alcohol have been banned since 1952 for residents and tourists of all faiths, though exceptions have been put in place for certain foreign diplomats.
The Gulf kingdom, however, opened its first shop selling alcohol in January this year in Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, in a bid to curb diplomats illegally purchasing alcohol or bringing it from overseas.
The sources claimed that FIFA has gone ahead with the decision following “lessons learned” from the World Cup hosted in Qatar two years ago, which also prohibited the sale of alcohol in stadiums.
Officials in Doha had initially given the green light to sell beer at designated fan zones in stadiums in February of that year. In July, Qatar said fans would be allowed to bring alcohol to stadiums, and would not go ahead with the sale of such beverages in stadiums.
However, two days before the first match in November, Qatar scrapped alcohol sales altogether around stadiums, following consultations with officials in the country where the sale of alcohol is limited.
The move reportedly cost one of FIFA’s sponsors AB InBev – the owner of the American beer brand Budweiser – around $40 million in compensation.
Why has Saudi Arabia been awarded the 2034 World Cup?
AB InBev has been among FIFA’s sponsors since 1986, earning millions each year from its partnership with the drinks company.
The company has extended its deal with FIFA until the 2026 World Cup, The Guardian said, adding that AB InBev had asked for transparency on the sale of alcohol in 2034.
FIFA added that it was not going to pressure Saudi Arabia to relax laws surrounding alcohol sales and consumption for 2034, which will mark the second year a Middle Eastern country has hosted the world’s biggest football competition.
Last week, FIFA awarded the Gulf nation with the World Cup’s hosting rights. Saudi Arabia, which is continuing its foray into the sporting world amid accusations of sportswashing, was the sole bidder in the competition.
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