Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Football, World Cup
Daisy Phillipson
World Cup fans could be sentenced to up to seven years behind bars if they're caught having a one night stand in Qatar.
As the Middle Eastern country prepares for this year's football event, as is the case with any host, visitors will need to be aware of the customs and laws of the region.
And one such law is that it's prohibited to have sex outside of marriage.
But while some reports state punishment is generally a year behind bars, non-profit Human Dignity Trust states it can be up to seven.
Advert
Similarly, same-sex intercourse is prohibited under the Penal Code 2004 and could also lead to a prison stay of similar length.
This was backed up by a police insider who told the Daily Star: “Sex is very much off the menu, unless you are coming as a husband and wife team. There definitely will be no one-night stands at this tournament.
"There will be no partying at all really. Everyone needs to keep their heads about them, unless they want to risk being stuck in prison.
“There is essentially a sex ban in place at this year’s World Cup for the first time ever. Fans need to be prepared.”
Advert
They continued: “The drink and party culture after games, which is the norm in most places, is strictly prohibited.
“With very strict and scary consequences if you are caught. There is a feeling this could be a very bad tournament indeed for fans.”
The 2022 World Cup gets underway on 21 November, with the final to be played just before Christmas on 18 December.
When the news was announced that the tournament would be hosted in Qatar, some called on the country to address its laws against the LGBTQ+ community.
Advert
The director of Football Against Racism, Piara Powar, said back in 2013: “Qatar is one of the few countries where homosexuality is still illegal and there are also big challenges in terms of the new law in Russia in regard to the World Cup.
“Qatar wants to host the tournament at the start of a new decade, they will want to present an internationally welcoming face and with FIFA’s help we are sure it will be possible to win over the Qataris so that they come into line with the rest of the world, including other countries in the Gulf and Middle East and change the law on homosexuality."