Qatar Bans Alcohol from 2022 Men's World Cup Stadiums in Late Reversal

FIFA announced Friday the sale of alcohol inside stadiums and around stadium perimeters at the 2022 World Cup has been banned just two days before the tournament gets underway in Qatar.

Fans will be able to purchase alcoholic beverages at the FIFA Fan Festival, which is located at Al Bidda Park in Doha, as well as other fan destinations. Stadiums will serve Bud Zero, a zero-alcohol beer:

In September, tournament organizers announced alcohol would be sold at stadiums before and after matches, but not during the games themselves.

Tariq Panja of the New York Times reported Monday there was a "demand" from the Qatari royal family to relocate Budweiser beer tents near stadiums to become less visible amid concern they would "unsettle the local population and thus represent a potential security problem."

Qatar isn't a dry country but there's "zero tolerance for drinking in public, and being drunk in public is a crime," per Joe Brophy of TalkSport.

FIFA didn't provide an official reason for the late decision to ban alcohol sales in and around stadiums.

Along with the reversal, the host country has faced "heavy criticism" for last-minute construction work to complete fan zones along with unfinished areas of transportation hubs and stadiums, per ESPN's Tom Hamilton.

Qatar's national team, which automatically qualified for the World Cup as the host nation, will play in the tournament's first match Sunday against Ecuador.

The 32-team event runs through Dec. 18.