The FIFA World Cup 2022 is set to kick off in Qatar in a few months with 32 countries looking to fight it out for the biggest prize in the world of football.
The competition is about to begin on 20 November 2022 and will end on 18 December 2022. With big-name players such as Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo on show, fans will be excited to see their favorite stars take the stage and leave it all on the line to lift the World Cup.
This edition of the World Cup will take place in the Middle East for the first time in history but alcohol consumption is prohibited in Islam.
Hence, fans all over the world would be curious to know whether alcohol would be allowed for consumption during the FIFA World Cup 2022 later this year.
Where Can You Get Alcohol In Qatar?
There will be a 40,000-capacity fan zone in the capital city of Doha where a drink would be available for consumption. FIFA has also announced that the official ticket holders would have access to drink options within the stadium perimeter before and after the match but not during it takes place. Non-alcoholic drinks and soft drinks will be available inside the stadium bowl as well.
The visitors during the World Cup finals will also be able to purchase drinks after 18:30 local time at the Fifa fan festival in Doha’s Al Bidda Park.
Will Qatar Allow Alcohol In World Cup?
Yes, alcohol will be allowed in this year’s FIFA World Cup. Qatar has definitely loosened its rules on alcohol consumption as far as this grand tournament is concerned but any visitor would be penalized if they are caught drinking outside the permitted areas in and around the stadium.
In an interview back in 2019 (via talkSPORT), Nasser al-Khater, the chief executive officer of the 2022 World Cup, said,
“Alcohol is not part of our culture
“However, hospitality is. Alcohol is not as readily available here as in other parts of the world but for the World Cup we want to ensure it is accessible for fans who want to have a drink, so we are trying to find designated locations for fans to have alcohol, other than traditional places such as hotels and so forth.
“We recognize there is an issue with the price and it is something we are looking into. We are looking at finding ways to reduce the price of alcohol.”
It seems like Qatar has somewhat relaxed its’ rule on alcohol consumption. However, there are some concerns over the pricing of drinks with a pint of beer in Doha expected to cost around £10 as the country is invoking sin taxes on alcohol.
