# World Cup Matches with no Beer???



## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

I saw today that Qatar has reversed course and will NOT be selling beer in the stadiums hosting the World Cup matches. 

I can see that, Islamic Law is pretty clear. But from what I understand, they will still be serving champers and chardonnay and all that in the exclusive VIP boxes, so no important folks will be put out. Of course Budweiser has been sponsoring the World cup here in the states for years, so I guess they sorta got shafted.

But for fans, how big a deal is that? Do they sell beer in the stands in the English Premier League? I can see where they might not. A few beers would be nothing short of rocket fuel for football hooligans.

I know if it was baseball, beer would be necessary. Do you have any idea how boring baseball is without those big stadium beers? Its like 10 minutes of action crammed into 4 hours. Without a cold one, you're just out in right field bleachers getting a sunburn.

If it were American football, no beer in the stands would be grounds for the home team to have to forfeit the game

But talking about football, as in the beautiful game, is no beer in the stands really going to make any difference for the fans at the World Cup?


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Tbh this World Cup has been a farce from the day Qatar bribed Fifa to stage it. Nothing would surprise me in Qatar. My only hope is that all my team's players come back uninjured from this joke of a tournament.


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

I heard the USA was also looking to be the host this year, but I can see why FIFA would pass on America when recent history says our team probably wouldn't even make the field.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Not a real World Cup. Just forget it!


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Merl said:


> Tbh this World Cup has been a farce from the day Qatar bribed Fifa to stage it. Nothing would surprise me in Qatar. My only hope is that all my team's players come back uninjured from this joke of a tournament.


Yes. Everything bad or odd that happens now in Qatar is just punishment for the blatant corruption the world of football has been tolerating for decades and that has come to this absurd "high" (low) point.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

I've never been less interested in a World Cup than this one - I can't even tell you who is playing Qatar in the opening fixture.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

In isolation, this is a minor point, but added to all the other little sweet quirks that seem to be surfacing.....

In short, don't drink alcohol in public, don't engage in any acts of gayness, "when in Rome....." blah blah blah.

Or you don't give a prestigious tournament to a country that has struggled to extract itself from the fifteenth century, unless the bribe they bung your way is eye-wateringly humongous.

I'll have had a great deal more enjoyment out of the pure footballing spectacle that was the Women's Euros this summer than this charade of a competition.

Oh, and quite how Budweiser can be described as "beer" is anyone's guess. I do wonder how they get the cat to sit on the bottle, which is an interesting puzzle, but proper Budějovické Budvar is in a different league.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I think a certain level of corruption is unavoidable "noise" in international sports. And it doesn't matter much if a world cup is in France or Brazil, so I don't care much whether it takes place in one or the other because of bribes. 
There is even something to be said to have it in countries with not such a strong soccer tradition (US, Japan) or poorer ones (South Africa, they deserved it if only for their enthusiasm and the vuvuzelas ). But Qatar has literally nothing in its favor except the ability to line the pockets of corrupt functionaries. Bad climate, therefore unusual time, no tradition of the sport, horrible autocratic regime etc. I'll probably watch the matches with the German team and the more important ones in the k.o. phase anyway but with even less enthusiasm than before. (Admittedly, it's been quite a while I could really get excited about such things although I remember 2010 and 2014 as quite entertaining overall, Germany slaughtering Brazil was just something for the ages )


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

Malx said:


> I've never been less interested in a World Cup than this one - I can't even tell you who is playing Qatar in the opening fixture.


I will be watching the opening fixture....Qatar vs Ecuador.

Wondering what the reaction will be when Ecuador stick three past the hosts ( my prediction, although that will probably not be allowed to happen)


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Wouldn't be too sure about the result. I'm not _au fait _with the current state of football in the Gulf States, but Qatar have done extremely well in the youth World Cup in the past while Ecuador, who will be hard to beat because S.American teams always are, have never got even close to the likes of Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay in terms of achievement.


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## Hogwash (5 mo ago)

I am not pleased with this year’s Cup using Christmas 🎄 as a theme in the USA advertising campaign for the event.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

jim prideaux said:


> I will be watching the opening fixture....Qatar vs Ecuador.
> 
> Wondering what the reaction will be when Ecuador stick three past the hosts ( my prediction, although that will probably not be allowed to happen)


This weeks cynic / realist of the week (delete which is least applicable) prize goes to jim prideaux.


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

Malx said:


> This weeks cynic / realist of the week (delete which is least applicable) prize goes to jim prideaux.


Prefer to see myself as an idealist Malx. As a left leaning Sunderland fan who has spent his entire working life in state education I believe I can justifiably see myself as such.......but when it comes to this World Cup!


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## verandai (Dec 10, 2021)

I'm not sure if I'll get in the right mood for this world cup. Also the public viewing events won't be the same this time.

But regarding the beer, I also had to drink bad beer in the stadium several times. I don't remember if it was at the Champions League, and/or in the World Cup 2006 - but they had to sell some bad tasting beer of the sponsor, despite of the much better local beer in Munich!

And regarding the vuvuzelas: For me they were extremely annoying 

It was not possible to hear any fan reactions to the match, or songs anymore.

Also I support giving the World cup to nations without a strong football tradition, as it can trigger an increasing interest in the population for it! But not in the current case, Australia would have been a good choice!


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

England 3-0 up at half time with a pot of tea. I must be getting old.


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

bet somebody would have bought a cervesa for that Mexican goalie that stopped that penalty shot


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## Chilham (Jun 18, 2020)

If England get to the final, I'll watch it. It'd be the first soccer match I'd have watched since the final twelve years ago, when the Netherlands tried to kick the Spanish team into the back of the net.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Chilham said:


> If England get to the final, I'll watch it. It'd be the first soccer match I'd have watched since the final twelve years ago, when the Netherlands tried to kick the Spanish team into the back of the net.


I think many are of the same opinion.
No one (apart from the govt and people of Qatar) wanted the tournament held there but we're all still watching our country's teams as we still want them to win even though this tournament stinks.


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

shame the Costa Rican fans can't get a beer right now. Spain is up 3 nil 35 minutes into the match


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

I proved to have little will power having watched a few games now. 
Japan beating Germany this afternoon was a good watch even if only to prove effort and enthusiasm does sometimes get rewarded - not to mention excellent use of, and timings of, substitutions.
I wonder if there are any Japanese players with Scottish Grannies .


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I've been led to believe that a large proportion of the people present at the sparsely attended Germany-Japan game were what we in the UK refer to as "the prawn sandwich brigade", i.e those enjoying a corporate freebie irrespective of whether they actually like football or not. There was even the suggestion that there was fake crowd noise coming through the public address, like the games played in empty stadia during the Covid lockout.


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## FrankE (Jan 13, 2021)

It's usually in the summer, no?


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

I haven't figured out the coverage here in the US yet. I saw Spain beat the stuffings out of Costa Rica and now I'm waiting for Belgium and Canada to start.

I feel sorry for the Costa Rican fans in the stands. I know I'd want a few beers after watching my team get a buttkicking like that.

Guess I have to wait, though, Our guys dont play England until Friday


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## Chat Noir (4 mo ago)

I'm just glad its far away in Qatar, so I don't have to see it. It's been a charade for ages and to be frank I find football quite boring nowadays and wasn't ever a major fan. I only wish the general public could find it within themselves to get as properly worked up and passionate about important things as they do over trivial sporting events.


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