FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

[Ozy_Flame]

Don't focus solely on the money. Focus on the ROI of the infrastructure over time and the exposure to world investment resulting in subsequent economic growth for Qatari energy and services exports. Then don't forget the expected growth in foreign policy goals and advancement of soft power in the region. Look up Qatar National Vision 2030.

And remember, these costs have been sunk for years.

And as soon as the Cup starts, the fans and tourists are going to throw money everywhere. It's football, afterall.

The Qataris aren't fools. This is a nation-building project.

[Muta]

Sucks Iceland isn't at this year's World Cup. I love watching that team beat up soccer powerhouses in big tournaments.

[Bagor]

Anyone having a bet?

Going to lay a ton down on the Argies at 11/2 and 50 on Messi for top scorer at 11/1. Maybe a few smaller bets later on.

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1593424999792185347

[browna]

Good result today, no doubt, not knowing how the Japanese played as far as players.
Belgium are bigger boys than the guys from Japan are, and again, the teams Achilles heel will be at the back.

Obviously excitement levels are rising, just hoping the team can play it's best and get a quality goal or two.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Bagor

Anyone having a bet?

Going to lay a ton down on the Argies at 11/2 and 50 on Messi for top scorer at 11/1. Maybe a few smaller bets later on.

Qatar to win opening game is 3.2!

[SuperMatt18]

Still annoys me that the opening game isn’t Friday

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1593568456120717316

[Cecil Terwilliger]

On the plus side, fifa officials and wealthy suite attendees will still have booze. It’s only in the main concourses they’re banning alcohol sales. So at least the people who matter won’t be inconvenienced.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Yoho

https://twitter.com/user/status/1593568456120717316

I'm cracking a beer at 7am on Sunday out of principle now instead of my previously planned reasons.

[SebC]

Qatar:

[SuperMatt18]

It's uncommon for a World Cup...but is it really uncommon for International Soccer to not have alcohol sales on site?

I went to a Spain - Italy World Cup Qualifier back in 2016 and all restaurants and even grocery stores around the stadium in Turin had to stop selling alcohol 2 hours before kick off.

In the stadium there was a restricted area where I could buy alcohol and you couldn't bring it back to your seat.

It was kind of funny because a week earlier I went to a game in Munich to see Bayern Munich, and I'm pretty sure there I was able to buy a litre of beer and take it back to the seat if I wanted.

[Bill Bumface]

I watched a Flamengo game at Maracana (pre-reno), and there was no alchohol. Apparently last time they lifted the ban, there was murder(s). There was kids with backpacks full of beer selling it all over outside the stadium.

[GirlySports]

Belgium just lost to Egypt! They suck!

[agulati]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Belgium just lost to Egypt! They suck!

Hopefully this doesn’t serve as a wake up call for them. I would rather their loss come against Canada in the first game

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Yoho

https://twitter.com/user/status/1593568456120717316

England fans and Budweiser executives are going to burn that country to the ground.

[cSpooge]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It's uncommon for a World Cup...but is it really uncommon for International Soccer to not have alcohol sales on site?

I went to a Spain - Italy World Cup Qualifier back in 2016 and all restaurants and even grocery stores around the stadium in Turin had to stop selling alcohol 2 hours before kick off.

In the stadium there was a restricted area where I could buy alcohol and you couldn't bring it back to your seat.

It was kind of funny because a week earlier I went to a game in Munich to see Bayern Munich, and I'm pretty sure there I was able to buy a litre of beer and take it back to the seat if I wanted.

At Euro 2016 the only thing you could get in and around the stadium was Carlsberg 0%. It's fairly standard for venues to not have alcohol sales, but to change it 2 days before the event seems weird.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It's uncommon for a World Cup...but is it really uncommon for International Soccer to not have alcohol sales on site?

I went to a Spain - Italy World Cup Qualifier back in 2016 and all restaurants and even grocery stores around the stadium in Turin had to stop selling alcohol 2 hours before kick off.

In the stadium there was a restricted area where I could buy alcohol and you couldn't bring it back to your seat.

It was kind of funny because a week earlier I went to a game in Munich to see Bayern Munich, and I'm pretty sure there I was able to buy a litre of beer and take it back to the seat if I wanted.

Jesus, no booze?

How to make a #### sport ####ier.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It's uncommon for a World Cup...but is it really uncommon for International Soccer to not have alcohol sales on site?

I went to a Spain - Italy World Cup Qualifier back in 2016 and all restaurants and even grocery stores around the stadium in Turin had to stop selling alcohol 2 hours before kick off.

In the stadium there was a restricted area where I could buy alcohol and you couldn't bring it back to your seat.

It was kind of funny because a week earlier I went to a game in Munich to see Bayern Munich, and I'm pretty sure there I was able to buy a litre of beer and take it back to the seat if I wanted.

Hmmm.

Alcohol restrictions are in place where there are alcohold-related problems, I thnk someone mentioned Brazil? Yeah, there was a period of time where you couldnt buy beer in the stadiums, I believe they rescinded that policy for the World Cup and I'm not sure if they re-instated it.

Qatar though?

Its obviously a strange outlier. Most of the people attending the games dont live in Qatar, obviously. Do those people have alcohol 'problems' that would generate a public safety issue?

I dont see any way to realistically suggest that anyone could make that assumption.

This is a societal/religious issue that Qatar is unilaterally imposing upon its 'guests.' I dont think it should be allowed. It is their country, but they made statements and decisions and people travelling acted on those statements, to reverse them at the last second is not operating in good faith.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Locke

Hmmm.

Alcohol restrictions are in place where there are alcohold-related problems, I thnk someone mentioned Brazil? Yeah, there was a period of time where you couldnt buy beer in the stadiums, I believe they rescinded that policy for the World Cup and I'm not sure if they re-instated it.

Qatar though?

Its obviously a strange outlier. Most of the people attending the games dont live in Qatar, obviously. Do those people have alcohol 'problems' that would generate a public safety issue?

I dont see any way to realistically suggest that anyone could make that assumption.

This is a societal/religious issue that Qatar is unilaterally imposing upon its 'guests.' I dont think it should be allowed. It is their country, but they made statements and decisions and people travelling acted on those statements, to reverse them at the last second is not operating in good faith.

The sport of football has had lots of fan related problems over the years...enough to say that I think not having alcohol in the stadium at any major tournament wouldn't surprise me.

Yeah the reversal is weird for sure...TBH I was surprised that alcohol would be allowed in the stadiums to start with because I had heard about it being not available at past tournaments in the stadiums, and it wasn't available at the WC Qualifier I went to.

Honestly I'm more surprised FIFA / Budweiser is allowing this - the sponsor is the one that is probably most pissed off, even more than fans. As a fan you should easily be able to go 2-3 hours without a beer...but for Budweiser that's potentially a lot of sales (although Qatar probably will just pay them anyways and that concern goes away).