Fifa has confirmed alcohol will be banned for World Cup fans in a major and unprecedented volte-face just 48 hours before the tournament will kick off in Qatar. The news that it will not be sold inside or around the perimeter of stadiums was confirmed by Fifa in a terse statement on Friday afternoon.
However, football’s governing body will now be looking nervously over its shoulders at the prospect of legal action from Budweiser, which has a $75m (£63m) sponsorship agreement with Fifa and is likely to regard this as a major breach of contract.
