No beer, no way! Football fan identity enactment won't mix with Muslim beliefs in the Qatar 2022 World Cup

Abstract

Awarding the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar was a bold move involving many firsts: the first Islamic nation to host the Cup, the first Arab nation, and the first desert nation are to name a few. Controversy quickly swirled around the decision, with allegations of bribery, treatment of migrant workers, and restrictions on alcohol availability among other dominating news stories. Assuming the immediate concerns regarding significant safety issues for the laborers are addressed, Qatar must develop a plan for alcohol availability at matches, a FIFA requirement. Use of alcohol is especially a troubling issue for Muslims, who may be deeply offended if they are in the vicinity of alcohol. The recent development in Qatar must be appreciated to contextualize the belief system that drives governmental alcohol policy as they highlight significant contradictions. Additionally, the use of public spaces is quite different for alcohol-consuming fans and Muslim fans. Qatari officials have indicated they will have fans’ zones to keep alcohol separate from Muslims; however, such a policy will fail to prevent the same public spaces from being occupied by alcohol-consuming and alcohol-abstaining fans, creating an uneasy use of public spaces, especially for Muslim football fans.