E-Malt.com News article: Brazil: Beer approved for sale at soccer stadiums during the 2014 World Cup

Brazil took a step toward relaxing its strict ban on alcohol at soccer stadiums on March, 6, responding to World Cup organizers' concerns. The Federation International de Football Association is pushing for the change so it can make Budweiser the "Official Beer of the FIFA World Cup" when Brazil hosts the event in 2014, NPR reports.

Late on March, 6, a special committee voted 15-9 to approve the sale of alcoholic beverages at Brazil's soccer stadiums during the 2014 World Cup, as well as the 2013 Confederations Cup. The measure now advances in the legislature; it will require a signature from President Dilma Rousseff before it is enacted.

Alcoholic beverages were banned at Brazil's soccer games back in 2003, in a desperate attempt to reduce violence at its stadiums. As a recent report shows, that effort has had only marginal success — the country led the world in soccer-related deaths from 1998 to 2008, with 42 fatalities reported.

But as it prepares for the 2014 tournament, Brazil is under intense pressure to revoke at least part of its federal ban.

As for the beer issue, Valcke has consistently demanded that Brazil change its law.

"Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so we're going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that's something we won't negotiate," he said in January.

The controversy has complicated things a bit for FIFA, which has promised beer conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev that Budweiser will once again be the World Cup's official beer — a role it has played since 1986. The relationship was recently extended to 2022.

But the fact that Brazil's beer ban may be tweaked hasn't calmed the froth that built up between FIFA and the country's leadership.

Even if Brazil softens its stance on alcohol sales, FIFA's beer headaches aren't over. Both Russia, which will host the Cup in 2018, and Qatar have soccer booze-bans on the books.


09 March, 2012