No Beer or Exposure! Star Athletes' Wives and Girlfriends Advised to Dress Modestly

England Football Association Issues Warning on Clothing with Excessive 'Wax' Exposure
Qatar Suddenly Bans Beer Sales at Stadiums

On the 19th (local time), a citizen is enjoying the festival at the FIFA Fan Festival held in Doha, Qatar. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, held for the first time ever in an Arab country, is expected to have a markedly different atmosphere compared to previous tournaments. Following the sudden ban on beer sales near stadiums due to the strict application of Islamic law, voices have also emerged urging restraint in wearing revealing clothing both inside and outside the stadiums.

On the 20th (local time), according to the British Daily Mail, the England Football Association advised the national team players' WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends ? referring to the wives and girlfriends of world-famous star players) to dress modestly. They also requested that revealing outfits not be brought to Qatar at all. This consideration was made in light of Qatar being a conservative Islamic country regarding exposure. Although Qatar does not require female foreign visitors to cover their heads as strictly as Saudi Arabia does, revealing clothing is rarely seen.

The WAGs, responding to the association's request, plan to respect Qatari culture by wearing long dresses or tops that cover the arms instead of short skirts during this tournament. A stylist responsible for the WAGs' fashion told the media, "We are preparing to wear such clothes even at restaurants outside the stadium."

Another area where Qatar's regulations apply is the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages near the stadiums. On the 18th (local time), FIFA announced, "After discussions with the host country, we have decided to remove beer sales points around the Qatar World Cup stadiums." Initially, Qatar had planned to allow beer sales in designated areas outside the stadium for ticket holders but withdrew this plan two days before the World Cup opening.

The sudden change drew dissatisfaction from various organizations, including FIFA sponsors. Budweiser, a major FIFA sponsor and beer company, posted on its official Twitter account, "Well, this is awkward..." but deleted the post 90 minutes later. Budweiser was reportedly planning to acquire a luxury hotel in Doha to broadcast World Cup matches live while selling beer. The New York Times (NYT) assessed that this announcement could cause problems with the $75 million (approximately 10 billion KRW) contract between Budweiser and FIFA.

Football fans visiting Qatar to watch the World Cup also expressed anger. With the possibility of enjoying the World Cup with alcohol completely blocked, Diego Anbrick, a Mexican national, told the NYT, "Beer is part of the stadium experience," calling it "terrible news."

As the controversy grew, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated at a press conference held in Doha, Qatar, on the 19th, "Humans can survive three hours without beer," and "You can watch the World Cup without beer." He added, "The ban on beer sales in stadiums is also implemented in countries like France, Spain, and Portugal," and "Qatar's measure seems to cause greater controversy because it is an Islamic country." He further said, "If this issue is the biggest problem of the World Cup, I will resign immediately and go to the beach to rest."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.