Having signed a $75 million deal with the FIFA World Cup to be its official sponsor, Budweiser announced this week that unsold beer from the event would be gifted to the country that wins the World Cup.
This came as a result of the World Cup deciding two days before the tournament started that alcoholic beer would not be sold in the stadium due to the fact that Qatar is a strict Muslim country where alcohol is mostly prohibited.
A FIFA spokesperson stated: “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 of 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,” FIFA stated.
In response to the alcohol ban, Budweiser tweeted, then deleted, “Well, this is awkward…”
Budweiser later tweeted: “New Day. New Tweet. Winning country gets the Buds. Who will get them?” along with a photo of all the beer in a warehouse.
The World Cup final will take place later this month. Gianni Infantino, Fifa President, explained why it had canceled alcoholic sales at the last minute, noting that the organizers failed to persuade the Qatar government to stand by the original decision when Budweiser was named the official sponsor.
Nevertheless, Infantino said, “If anything, the situation had brought us even closer together.”
The World Cup in Qatar has been surrounded by controversy, and some have alleged that the cruel treatment of migrant laborers led to the deaths of thousands of people, as reported by The Dallas Express.
The U.S. teams have enjoyed some success during the competition, most recently defeating Iran 1-0 in a highly anticipated match to advance to the next stage.
