Groups of fans from around the world are arriving in Qatar, where the FIFA World Cup will begin on Sunday, Middle Eastern media reported. Fans gather in the streets of Doha, singing songs, dancing and preparing for the start of the tournament. Fans are traditionally dressed in the colors of their teams, with Dutch fans in bright orange jerseys already strolling around the city, as well as large numbers of Mexican fans in sombreros and Brazilians in yellow shirts and with national flags.
Qatar is expected to host 1.2 million fans during the tournament.
Earlier on Friday, 48 hours before the start of the tournament, the International Football Federation (FIFA) said that after discussions with Qatar’s authorities it had decided not to sell alcoholic beverages in the eight soccer stadiums that will host matches of the 2022 World Cup. However, it is allowed to sell alcoholic beverages at Fan Festival events, other fan venues and licensed venues. Budweiser non-alcoholic beer will remain available at the stadiums.
Budweiser is one of the main sponsors of FIFA, and therefore only beers of this brand can be sold at FIFA World Cups. Western media reports that Budweiser’s sponsorship amounts to $75 million.
Western media note that the company is working on an agreement to turn one of the luxury hotels in downtown Doha into its own theme park, where a bottle of beer will be sold for at least $15.
Meanwhile, sales of Qatar’s popular drink, Karak, a spicy tea with milk and spices, have soared in the country. Its price is less than $0.30.
Initially, Qatar authorities allowed the sale of alcohol near stadiums, but asked to make the points of sale not too noticeable.
The FIFA World Cup will be held from November 20 to December 18 in Qatar. For the first time in history, the tournament will be held in the Middle East.
The first match will be held on Sunday. On the field will be the players of Qatar, which hosts the World Cup, and Ecuador.
In Ukraine, all matches will be available for viewing on Suspilnogo platforms. World Cup matches will be broadcasted on Suspіlne Sport site (live broadcasts, match records and highlights), local Suspіlne TV channels (live and delayed broadcasts) and Radio Luch (radio broadcasts of matches).
