The Qatari royal family are demanding a complete ban on selling alcohol at all World Cup stadiums, just two days before the tournament kicks off.
The host nation – where alcohol sales are typically restricted to foreigners drinking in licenced hotels and restaurants, or non-Muslim residents with special permits in their homes have called on FIFA to stop the selling of beer at the eight World Cup stadiums.
If the ban goes ahead, Budweiser – one of the tournament’s largest sponsors – will be unable to sell its beer to fans at the matches and could put Fifa in breach of a multi-million dollar contract with the company.
Discussions about the issue are believed to be ongoing between Budweiser and Fifa, though The Times says the removal of sales of Budweiser is now ‘likely’ after the Qatari royals intervened. MailOnline has reached out to both for comment, but had not received a response at time of publication.
The New York Times reported that this order came from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the brother of Qatar’s ruler.
