A pair of football fans attempted to sneak alcohol into the stadium for a match at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar using an incredibly brazen method, but it wasn't enough to stop them getting busted by security on the way in:
You’ve got to hand it to them, it’s a pretty novel attempt to sneak booze into the stadium.
It must have been fairly difficult to find the booze in the country in the first place, let alone manage to sneak it in via the method they attempted.
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To be fair, these England fans showed that it can be done.
The footage, shared on Reddit, shows the two football fans being searched at what we have to assume is a security checkpoint for one of the stadiums at the World Cup.
It looks as if the two fans are supporting Mexico, so it’s also reasonable to assume that they were attending their country’s match against Poland yesterday, meaning they’d have been trying to get into Stadium 974, the first ever temporary stadium built for the world’s premiere football event.
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It’s called Stadium 974 – in case you were wondering – after the dialling code for Qatar, but also because it’s made out of 974 shipping containers, meaning it can be taken down and transported to other places for other events.
Neat, right?
Anyway, as you can tell from the video, they have clearly tried to sneak in some form of alcohol – or other contraband – into the stadium by buying some fake binoculars that one of the ends screws off.
However, they weren’t able to fool the stadium security, as he inspected it and immediately went to unscrew the top of the container that held whatever was inside.
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After that, he mimed drinking it, giving an indication of what trick they seemed to be trying to pull.
In the end, it was unsuccessful and the clip ends, meaning we don’t know what actually happened to them, or whether they did manage to get into the stadium at all.
Alcohol is banned in Qatar and although there are some places in the country where rules have been relaxed for the tournament, the country made a dramatic U-turn on selling alcohol in the stadiums just days before the football kicked off.
Whilst fans in the luxury accommodation can still get alcohol, ordinary punters in the stands are unable to.
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In a statement, the world football governing body said: "Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA fan festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar's FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters.
"There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar's World Cup stadiums.
"Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.
"The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev's understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022."
Main alcohol sponsor Budweiser later tweeted: “Well this is awkward.”
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They later deleted that post, though.
A spokesperson for Budweiser’s owners AB InBev later confirmed that ‘some of the planned stadium activations’ could not proceed because of ‘circumstances beyond [their] control’.
The decision to ban alcohol so close to the tournament was criticised in the UK by the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).
They said: "Some fans like a beer at a game and some don't, but the real issue is the last-minute U-turn which speaks to a wider problem - the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee towards supporters.
"If they can change their minds on this at a moment's notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfil other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues."
Topics: Food And Drink, World Cup, Sport, Football
Tom Wood