no alcohol in stadiums in Saudi Arabia?

No alcohol in stadiums in Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup? This is the strong trend revealed by our colleagues from Guardian this Tuesday. As in 2022 during the global meeting in Qatar, Saudi leaders reportedly refused to allow beer to be sold during matches, despite the wishes of Fifa, placed under pressure by certain long-standing partners wishing to meet expectations. thousands of supporters expected on site. As a reminder, the sale of alcohol has been banned in Saudi Arabia since 1952 and only one brand sells it in Riyadh, the country’s capital, with certain restrictions.

This situation echoes that of Qatar, with identical bans, even if the sale of alcohol was finally authorized in certain hotels and bars in Doha during the World Cup won by Argentina against France. Awarded to Saudi Arabia by Fifa, without any competitor having appeared on the starting line, the 2034 World Cup arouses controversy with regard to the ecological challenge (competition in winter or autumn) and human rights.