FIFA head says fans ‘will survive’ without beer at World Cup
This just in from our good friend, Jason Dopke. Here’s an update:
First, FIFA has decided that no-lager beer is now a “non-essential item” for World Cup fans. (In other words, it’s off the list for tournament-mandated sales.) That may seem like a mild step. On the other hand, this means you can’t serve lager beers at the tournament either.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said this in a statement, according to the AP:
“The World Cup is an amazing event that we want to share with the whole world,” he said. “We must respect our guests. Today we have decided to remove lager from the list of items that could not be sold at the World Cup from the moment of the first beer being served in Russia on June 14 until the end of the tournament on Oct. 16.”
Infantino says lager “was not needed for the event due to the low-alcohol content”. OK, but how many of you really needed to drink a beer in Russia anyway?
Infantino said lager will be allowed for sale at official stores that sell alcohol in stadiums and other locations, but fans will have to bring their own.
“This means that fans will be able to purchase a cold lager outside the stadium and have it stored in their own vehicle; for fans who need the alcohol more, they will be able to purchase it ahead of time at a store,” Infantino said.
It’s a small change: this is not the first time soccer has banned drinking. The World Cup has also banned it, as have the Olympics and the Pan Pacific Games.
But we think it’s still good news — especially to your readers in the U.S. and elsewhere. We’re glad to know that it’s still something they can do, even after the tournament is over.
But you know
