The Qatari royal family is pressuring Fifa (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) to completely ban the sale of alcohol outside all World Cup stadiums, just two days before the controversial tournament kicks off.
The hosts are putting significant pressure on Fifa to stop selling ‘Budweiser’ beer, one of the biggest sponsors in the world, outside the eight World Cup stadiums.
If this request is met and Budweiser is unable to sell beer or have any visibility, Fifa will be in breach of a multi-million dollar contract, according to the Daily Mail.
Discussions are currently underway between Budweiser and FIFA. According to “The Times”, the suppression of Budweiser sales is now “likely” following the intervention of the Qatari royal family.
Fifa already made a concession this week to the Qatari hosts over Budweiser’s availability and visibility in stadiums.
Organizers in Qatar felt that Budweiser’s stands were too intrusive. Fifa has therefore agreed to move them to less visible places. This change is highly unusual in a sponsorship deal.
The New York Times reported that this order came from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Qatari leader’s brother.
