Loading ...A Retrospective on the Qatar 2022 World Cup Alcohol Ban
By: Jake Harris / Arab America Contributing Writer
The FIFA World Cup is the world’s largest sporting event. Every four years, 32 countries (48 in 2026) come together in the ultimate showcase of national pride in competitive sport. In 2010, FIFA, the governing body for world soccer, announced the winners of the bids for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. It was announced that Qatar would be the first country in the Middle East to host the tournament in 2022.
This selection was considered highly controversial. Qatar would be the smallest country ever to host the World Cup. The hot climate forced FIFA to decide to move the tournament to the winter. The government is also a very centralized monarchy, where Islamic law is in place. Alcohol is prohibited in Islam. Alcohol is also a significant social aspect of sporting events in much of the West. Qatar decided to allow designated fan zones for the consumption of alcohol; however, this went along with the stipulation that it would be banned inside the stadium and unavailable for purchase during the matches. Non-alcoholic beers would still be available for sale. This struck a reasonable balance between preserving their culture and also accommodating a large number of guests from around the world.
It was an understandable criticism that the ban on alcohol inside stadiums was made so late, especially after many fans had already bought tickets. It was not an outright ban on alcohol nationwide, which is crucial to keep in mind.
Previous international tournaments have had infamous incidents involving violence and misbehavior, fueled by intoxicated fans. At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, England were due to play Ecuador in Stuttgart. Prior to the match English fans clashed with German fans following their team’s victory in the previous match. Chairs, bottles were thrown and riot police had to get involved. Police specifically described the incident as alcohol-fueled.
The final of the 2020 European Championships at Wembley Stadium in London became a disastrous incident involving intoxicated fans. Ticketless fans were partying on the streets many hours before kick off. Approximately 2,000 fans forced their way through the barricades at Wembley creating conditions that could have led to overcrowding, and injuries. Police reiterated afterwards that the event was a series of near-misses that could have led to loss of life.
The tournament was considered by many to be the safest World Cup of all time when it comes to the lack of major security incidents. British police who travelled to Qatar to help police the tournament called the behavior of England and Wales fans “exemplary”.
In an article posted 12 days into the tournament, Dr. Sean Mottaleb, an emergency response worker for the tournament mentioned to CNN that the decision to ban alcohol was as much about fan safety as it was about cultural norms.
The 2034 World Cup will be an interesting experiment in comparison. The rules on alcohol in Saudi Arabia are far stricter than the rules in Qatar. The sale, possession or consumption of alcohol is outright illegal even in private spaces. The only exception to this rule is an alcohol store reserved only for foreign, non-Muslim diplomats. The 2026 World Cup taking place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will be alcohol friendly. It will be interesting to see if there is a noticeable difference in fan safety at these tournaments.
When reflecting on the tournament it is important to keep in mind that FIFA is a global institution for the game that is played internationally. The countries that host the tournament are at times going to have vastly different political systems. Cultural norms that are acceptable in one region of the world may be seen as unacceptable in other parts. These differences should not stop the World Cup from being a truly global tournament. This century we have had our first African World Cup in 2010 in South Africa, and our first Middle Eastern World Cup in Qatar. While Europe and South America tend to dominate world soccer on the field, the sport is a global craze that is just as popular in the other continents.
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