Video:  We want beer, chant football fans as Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums

A video going viral on social media showed Ecuadorian fans at the FIFA World Cup stadium, chanting, “Queremos cerveza, queremos cerveza!” or “We want beer!” as their team defeated Qatar, 2-0, on Sunday.

The Qatari royal family took a decision on Friday, just two days before the start of the World Cup, to ban alcohol inside the stadiums. Football’s world governing body FIFA announced beer would not be sold to fans around any of the eight World Cup stadiums following discussions with the hosts.

According to reports, fans are able to buy alcohol in fan zones, and individuals are limited to just four drinks each. Alcohol is also available in hospitality boxes at the stadium.

FIFA said that beer sales would be focused on fan zone and licensed venues, “removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters”. It gave no reason for the surprise decision but media reports said there had been an intervention by Qatar’s ruling family.

After the decision was announced,FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Saturday that World Cup fans can survive for three hours a day without beer after sales were banned around stadiums.