When you think of the World Cup, a few things come to mind.
- The U.S. usually sucks and is eliminated early
- Crazed and maniacal fans
- Drunks
Scratch number 3 off the list when the big tourney kicks off because Qatar is not playing around when it comes to personal alcohol consumption.
The country’s safety and security committee said they have “specific measures” in place to handle anyone attempting to smuggle liquor in their luggage.
Translation; don’t do it. This is not Berlin. Or Dublin. Or Paris. Alcohol is strictly restricted in Qatar, and drinking in public is likely to get you a fine or prison sentence of up to six months.
Booze can be purchased and consumed inside hotels, which will make a lot of people happy, considering the temperatures in Qatar during the late fall has highs still in the mid-90s.
Oh, did I mention that Budweiser is a World Cup Sponsor? Well, they are, and Qatar will allow beer to be sold in designated fan zones at stadiums hosting games.
This is going to be an interesting story to follow. Back in 2018, when the Cup was held in Russia, fans parties so hard that bars ran out of beer in Moscow. Fans are used to drinking heavily inside the stadium, but that will not be happening this time.
Here’s another rub; beer at the fanfests won’t even start flowing until after 6:30 p.m., which means fans at the early games will enjoy a lot of Gatorade.
Add comment