World Cup organisers have insisted there will be a complete booze ban at the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi ambassador to the UK said “there's no alcohol at all” and there would be no exception for the tournament. Qatar is also restrictive on booze but allowed alcohol at fan zones despite it not being on sale in stadiums while foreign nationals could also apply for licences. But Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud told LBC: “At the moment, we don't allow alcohol. Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol - it's not 100 per cent necessary and if you want to drink after you leave, you're welcome to, but at the moment we don't have alcohol.
"Rather like our weather, it's a dry country. Everyone has their own culture. We’re happy to accommodate people within the boundaries of our culture but we don’t want to change our culture for someone else. I mean, really? You can't live without a drink?”. Saudi Arabia's decision comes after major controversy over Qatar's stance over alcohol at the 2022 World Cup. It was initially confirmed that beer would be sold in stadiums around the Gulf nation during the tournament.
But organisers completed a dramatic u-turn on the eve of the tournament to the dismay of supporters. A statement read: "Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar's FIFA World Cup 2022- stadium perimeters.
"There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar's World Cup stadiums. Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans. What is your stance on the decision over alcohol sales? Share your thoughts in the comments below. "The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev's understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.".
Budweiser deleted a tweet after the news was confirmed which read: "well, this is awkward...". Suppliers AB InBev later released an official statement saying: "Some of the planned stadium activations cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control.". And while the debate on alcohol sales rages on, there is expected to be no issues during the next tournament which is set to take place in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. The following tournament will then be jointly hosted by Portugal, Spain and Morocco.
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