Alcohol will only be available at special places during 2022 World Cup

Fans attending the 2022 football World Cup here will not be able to drink alcohol in public, but in special places, the secretary general of Qatar 2022 Hassan Al Thawadi announced on Saturday.

"We are going to have private tents to drink alcohol," Al Thawadi told reporters after an event in which he presented the design of the Al-Lusail Stadium, the venue for the opening and the final match, reports Efe.

Qatar is a conservative Islamic country where the sale of alcohol is allowed only to non-Muslim foreigners, who can purchase these drinks in specific stores by presenting a permit issued by the government.

The secretary general of Qatar 2022 also referred to the studies being carried out on the possibility of extending the World Cup to 48 teams.

Al Zawadi said that the decision on the extension of the World Cup will be taken jointly with FIFA, as stated by the president of this organization, Gianni Infantino.

The final decision will be announced in March, Infantino said this week at the end of the FIFA Executive Football Summit.

Infantino said "most federations" support the change, which would allow 16 more teams to participate in the World Cup.

--IANS

gau/bg