Budweiser to Throw Massive World Cup Celebration With Stockpile of Beer

Budweiser will throw a celebration for whichever country wins the FIFA World Cup with the company's massive stockpile of beer Qatar restricted it from selling inside stadiums at the soccer championship.

Qatar, which is hosting the soccer tournament, last week reversed its policy surrounding the sale of alcohol at the games. Budweiser initially planned to sell the drinks at fan zones as well as at stadiums during the tournament.

But Qatar said last week that alcohol sales for most fans would be banned at stadiums.

The move has been met with scorn from fans—some of whom traveled from around the world to Qatar, where alcohol is generally restricted, to watch the championship—as well as from the beer company, which has a $76 million sponsorship deal with FIFA.

As the company is left with a large stockpile of beer unable to be sold during the tournament, it is now set to offer whichever country wins the soccer tournament a "celebration" with the leftover product.

"Where there is a celebration, there is always a Budweiser. In that spirit, Budweiser wants to bring this celebration from the FIFA World Cup stadiums to the winning country's fans," a Budweiser spokesperson wrote in a statement to Newsweek.

"We will host the ultimate championship celebration for the winning country. Because, for the winning fans, they've taken the world," the statement added.

The beer company first announced the celebration in a tweet on Saturday, attaching a photograph showing a large amount of beer being kept in a warehouse. The spokesperson did not say how much beer would be given out during the victory celebration.

"New Day, New Tweet. Winning Country gets the Buds. Who will get them?" Budweiser tweeted. The Budweiser spokesperson said more information about this initiative would be announced closer to the tournament finals.

Budweiser owner AB InBev previously said it was told on November 12 to make its stands "less prominent" prior to the World Cup's start. In response to the change in policy, Budweiser wrote in a tweet: "Well, this is awkward."

Sky News previously reported that the decision was made because many fans from the Middle East and South Asia, where alcohol "doesn't play such a large role in the culture," will be traveling to Qatar to watch the games.

Some fans will still be able to purchase beer at the game. Those who purchase a Corporate Hospitality ticket, priced at around $22,000, will be able to purchase alcohol inside the stadiums.

A video of Ecuadorian fans demanding the sale of alcohol during the championship went viral on social media. In the video, the fans were heard chanting, "Queremos cerveza, queremos cerveza," meaning, "We want beer, we want beer."

Budweiser, in a tweet, celebrated the chant as "music to our ears."

"Buds in Ecuador - we'll double your Buds," the brand tweeted.

Correction 11/21/22: This article has been updated to reflect that Budweiser's sponsorship deal with FIFA is worth $76 million.