Alcohol Ban at 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, FIFA Officials Confirm
Football fans attending the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia will not be permitted to consume alcohol in the stadiums, FIFA senior officials have revealed. The decision follows Saudi Arabia’s recent confirmation as the host nation for the tournament, making it the second Middle Eastern country to do so after Qatar.
FIFA has yet to make an official public statement on the matter, but sources disclosed the ban to The Guardian. The move comes after FIFA officials reportedly took “lessons learned” from Qatar’s experience during the 2022 World Cup.
In Qatar, alcohol sales were initially approved for certain stadium fan zones. However, just two days before the tournament’s opening match, Qatari authorities reversed this decision, completely banning alcohol sales around stadiums. The sudden change led to the removal of large quantities of beer from the venues, costing FIFA approximately 50 million US dollars in compensation to its sponsor, AB InBev.
Saudi Arabia has maintained a longstanding ban on alcohol consumption, which has been in place since 1952. However, the Kingdom recently began allowing the sale of alcohol to non-Muslim diplomats under strict regulations in Riyadh starting in January 2024. Despite this limited relaxation, the 2034 World Cup will not see any alcohol sales in stadiums, in alignment with the country’s long-standing policies.
