World Cup: Fans can survive for three hours without beer, says Fifa chief Gianni Infantino

DOHA – Fifa president Gianni Infantino said on Saturday that World Cup fans can survive for three hours a day without beer after sales were banned around stadiums.

“I think personally if for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive,” he told his opening press conference in Doha. “The same applies in France, Spain, Scotland.”

World Cup chiefs on Friday

banned beer sales around stadiums in Qatar in a stunning U-turn,

just 48 hours before Sunday’s kick-off.

Alcohol is largely prohibited in the Islamic nation but the organisers sparked fury from fans with their dramatic late decision.

Fifa said beer would not be sold to fans around any of the eight World Cup stadiums following discussions with the hosts.

It said beer sales would be focused on fan zones and licensed venues, “removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s Fifa World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters”.

It gave no reason for the surprise decision but media reports said there had been an intervention by Qatar’s ruling family.

Dozens of Budweiser beer tents had already been set up at grounds ahead of the first game.

Fans, meanwhile, were left gasping by the beer ban.

Ecuador fan Diana, 31, told AFP she was saddened by the decision as she would have liked to have had a drink ahead of her country’s match with hosts Qatar which opens the World Cup.

“That’s quite sad because, you know, with this weather and all the excitement we have, of course we want a beer at least once,” she said.

Her compatriot Amelia, 22, said “it’s going to be like a cultural shock” not to be able to drink alcohol at her country’s games.

“It’s not prohibited in most countries around the world,” she added. “But we have to respect their culture and their rules.”

Ayu Whazir, 26, said: “I think it should be allowed because like there are many people from all over the world coming here.

“And, you know, previously Fifa have been selling alcohol publicly.”

However, Hashem Walid, 20, was not bothered about a decision which has left the expected one million fans set to visit the country unable to engage in the customary quaffing before and after matches.

“I know the English fans won’t be too happy, but you don’t get everything you want in life, so I’m sorry.”

Two players also weighed in on the situation.

Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey has said that he hopes the ban will not dampen the atmosphere at their games, while his English counterpart Aaron Ramsdale believes that Qatar’s culture must be respected.

He said: “I think the fans will find some way of having a beer. I don’t think you need to do it so much at the game... We also have to respect the rules and continue to work, so we’ll put pressure on ourselves to entertain from the football pitch.”

Separately, Infantino also blasted the “hypocrisy” of Western critics of Qatar’s human rights record, making a passionate defence of the World Cup in the Gulf state.

The build-up to the tournament has been dominated by concerns over Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers, women and the LGBTQ community, to the visible annoyance of organisers.

“This moral lesson-giving – one-sided – is just hypocrisy,” said the Swiss.

“I don’t want to give you any lessons of life, but what is going on here is profoundly, profoundly unjust.”

He added: “For what we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years, we should apologise for the next 3,000 years before starting giving moral lessons to people.”

Infantino also expressed his support for marginalised communities.

“Today I feel Qatari, today I feel Arab, today I feel African, today I feel gay, today I feel disabled, today I feel a migrant worker,” he said. AFP, REUTERS