Millions of fans in Qatar thought they would enjoy watching the World Cup with friends and family while tossing back a lot of cold ones. Instead, there will be eight stadiums full of sober people after Qatar suddenly banned the sale of alcohol ahead of the busy weekend. The sudden move can make you only question why Qatar was ever chosen as the host of the World Cup. Qatar is a Muslim country that is considered to be very conservative. In September, officials said ticketed fans would be able to buy alcoholic beer only three hours before kickoff and for one hour after the final whistle.

Maybe fans will pick up a cold “Bud Zero” and enjoy it. What is a “Bud Zero?” It’s the only beer Qatar officials allow to sell during the World Cup. The beer is an alcohol-free lager that Budweiser says taste like its best-selling alcoholic beverage. It also has 0 grams of sugar and 50 calories and was first introduced two years ago.

Fans are still going to have a good time. The real victim here is Budweiser. The brand paid $75 million to sponsor this event. Yes, the company’s advertisements will still be shown, but the sales expected from the event are gone. There are likely to be sales from Bud Zero, but are people really drinking non-alcoholic beer? Can the drink bring in large amounts as the company’s alcoholic beverages? According to the Hustle, people are indulging less in the hard stuff and requesting wine and non-alcoholic beer. NielsenIQ reported a 315% rise in NA beverage sales in October 2021, and New Zealand’s NA winery, Giesen, reported 454% growth in U.S. shipments. Budweiser may still earn some profit during this event. The popularity of NA beverages is doing well enough for a non-alcoholic beer to be open in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

As for the future, if Qatar will ever host another World Cup is still to be determined. Hopefully, the sudden decision to ban alcohol will not affect FIFA’s business partnership with Budweiser.

The FIFA World Cup kicks off Sunday and lasts until Dec. 18th.

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