World Cup 2022: Fans to pay hundreds of dollars for beers in Qatar
A hard-earned thirst needs a big, cold beer — just don’t expect to get one cheaply if you’re heading to the World Cup in Qatar.
Eye-watering World Cup drinks prices have been revealed with football fans paying up to AUD $140 per pint.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 England fans are expected to travel to Qatar for the World Cup group stages, The Sun reports.
And thousands more are set to follow if Gareth Southgate’s side reach the knockout stages.
Unlike relatively-relaxed Dubai some 200 miles away, Qatar has tougher restrictions on who can buy alcohol and where – limiting most purchases to restaurants and high-end hotels.
But some sports bars have been accused of exploiting visitors by charging fans up to A$425 each to watch the World Cup semi-finals and finals.
The stunning price includes a three-drink voucher for bottles of Budweiser or Corona or a glass of house wine – working out at around $140 a drink.
Drinks giant Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide – which owns many of the world’s most popular beer brands including Becks, Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois – are even training up to 6,000 workers in Qatar to be able to pour a pint properly.
Public drunkenness is technically illegal and those found guilty face up to six months’ jail time and a fine of 3,000 riyals, or around A$1,240.
However, in reality, Qatari officials often turn a blind eye to expats getting drunk, as long as they stay within the restaurants and hotels.
And spaces will be created to “sober up” drunk supporters.
Qatar’s World Cup chief executive, Nasser Al Khater said: “There are plans in place for people to sober up if they’ve been drinking excessively.
“It’s a place to make sure that they keep themselves safe, they’re not harmful to anybody else.”
Fans also can’t bring any booze into the country, and authorities will confiscate any alcohol in travellers’ luggage and there are also strict laws on drugs.
Any fans caught smuggling cocaine into the country could face the death penalty.
Cheaper alternative locations for drinking have been identified by SunSport.
Public House, Mulberry Tavern, The Irish Harp and Champions Sports bar are all good options.
And the astronomical price of beer won’t be the only headache facing football fans as they arrive in Qatar in the coming days.
Concerning images have emerged showing the shipping container-style accommodation thousands of fans will have to endure while enjoying the tournament.
Pictures show the inside to be made up of either two single beds or a double bed inside cramped rooms.
Toilets, mini-fridge and tea and coffee-making facilities are also visible in the images.
A select group of journalists and photographers from around the world were given a tour of one village which contained 6000 cabins near the city’s airports.
According to AP, the 3.1 square-kilometre site included a metro station, a bus stop, and a planned temporary restaurant and convenience store.
Some of the fan villages would require fans to travel more than 40 minutes to access stadiums.
The country has estimated it will have 130,000 rooms per day for the tournament.
“We have enough accommodation and people still they can come and enjoy the tournament and of course they can choose what they are looking for from the accommodation,” Omar al-Jaber, the head of accommodation at Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy told the news agency.
Staff have been hard at work in recent weeks preparing the portable rooms, which are preparing to host up to 60,000 fans.
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WORLD CUP GOLDEN BOOT BETS TO HELP YOU SCORE
In today’s 2022 World Cup Preview we’ll take a look at the betting market for the Golden Boot, which is awarded to the player who finishes the tournament with the most goals. England’s Harry Kane ($8), who won the award at World Cup 2018 with six goals, is the betting favourite, but he’s got plenty of company at the top of the board.
France’s Kylian Mbappe ($10) while Brazil’s Neymar Jr., Argentina’s Lionel Messi and another Frenchman in Karim Benzema are all at $13 and Cristiano Ronaldo is $17.
Instead of focusing on the top of the board, we’ll take a few punts at bigger prices and hope to get lucky.
Here are three long shots worth betting to win the Golden Boot.
GABRIEL JESUS, BRAZIL $26
There’s definitely something to be said about avoiding betting on players on deep teams like Brazil, but this number is too good to pass up on Jesus, who now looks likely to start up top for the best team in the field with Richarlison battling an injury.
Although he’s not in the best of form for Arsenal at the moment, Jesus has proven that he can get hot in a hurry and he’s one of the top players in the world at finding space in good attacking areas. Jesus mastered the art playing with the best club team in the world, so he should have plenty of opportunities finishing off plays created by the brilliance of Neymar, Vinicius Jr. and Raphinha.
In a group that features Switzerland, Serbia and Cameroon, Brazil will score early and often in this tournament, which gives Jesus a realistic chance at competing for this award.
SADIO MANE, SENEGAL (50/1)
Playing in a soft group that includes Qatar, the Netherlands and Ecuador, Senegal is a trendy longshot pick to make a run at the World Cup. And if the Lions of Teranga are able to make good on the hype, it’ll likely be on the boot of Sadio Mane, who has spent the last five seasons as one of the most effective scorers in Europe.
Mane, now at Bayern Munich, scored 67 goals in the last four Premier League seasons at Liverpool and is rightfully considered one of the best forwards in the world right now. Although he won’t have the same amount of talent around him that he’s used to at Bayern or Liverpool, Mane should have a couple of opportunities (against Qatar and Ecuador) to pad his account before facing tougher opposition in the knockout rounds, should Senegal advance.
CHRISTIAN PULISIC, USA (100/1)
Going back to 1998, there have been six Golden Boot winners and five of them made it to at least the semi-finals, with Colombia’s James Rodriguez (quarterfinals, 2010) being the lone exception. That means, if you’re going to bet on an American to win the Golden Boot, you’re also banking on the Yanks getting out of the group stage and winning a match or two.
And if they do that, it’ll likely be thanks to Pulisic. While it seems a pretty safe bet that Jesus Ferreira will lead the line for the Yanks, there’s still no questioning that Pulisic is their talisman. The winger is the best player on the team with the ball at his feet and will be relied on as the creative force.
Like the United States, Pulisic is a long shot, but if you’re looking to back an American in this market, the right choice is the obvious one.
‘WE WILL NOT CHANGE’: QATAR DEFIANT IN LGBTQ STORM
A Qatari World Cup ambassador who called homosexuality “damage in the mind” argued Wednesday his comments were misrepresented but insisted his country’s conservative culture would not change.
Khalid Salman sparked criticism with his comments broadcast on German television on Tuesday, stirring new fears over LGBTQ rights in the host of the international tournament, which kicks off on November 20.
“I regret that what I said was taken out of context, because neither our religion nor our nature is to offend or insult,” the 60-year-old former Qatar international said on Twitter.
“Everyone is welcome in Qatar, but our religion and culture will not change for the championship,” he added.
More than one million people are expected to visit the tiny Gulf country for the World Cup.
Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, has come under sustained fire in recent years over its record on LGBTQ and women’s rights, as well as its treatment of foreign workers.
Salman said in an interview with Germany’s ZDF network that Qatar will welcome gay visitors but “they have to accept our rules.” He added homosexuality is “haram” — forbidden in Islam — before the interview was abruptly broken off by a World Cup official.
Germany’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser — who is also the sports minister, and whose own criticism of Qatar before a visit last week caused a diplomatic storm — called Salman’s comments “awful”.
German Football Association (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf and local LGBTQ organisation and activists have condemned the remarks, as have the United States and international rights groups.
Qatar has repeatedly stated that LGBTQ fans will be “welcome” at the World Cup but must respect the local culture.
Human Rights Watch has accused Qatar of detaining and abusing LGBTQ people in the run-up to the World Cup, allegations furiously denied by the government.
FIFA has insisted that rainbow flags will be allowed in and around World Cup stadiums.
Captains from a number of European countries, including England, France and Germany, have said they will wear armbands in rainbow colours with the message “One Love” during the tournament in an anti-discrimination campaign.
BLATTER FINALLY ADMITS HIS QATAR WORLD CUP MISTAKE
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says the decision to award the 2022 World Cup finals to Qatar was a “mistake”.
In 2010, FIFA’s executive committee voted 14-8 for Qatar to host the tournament ahead of the United States.
“It was a mistake,” Blatter said in an interview with AFP’s German sports subsidiary SID. “It was based on a decision when I was president, and therefore I bear part of the responsibility for it.” Blatter says he voted for the United States to host the 2022 tournament and blames then-UEFA president Michel Platini for swinging the vote in Qatar’s favour at the behest of then-French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Sarkozy had recommended to Platini “that he and his people should vote for Qatar”, Blatter said.
The former FIFA president’s version of events has been denied by Platini. Platini told French investigators that while he attended a lunch at the Elysee Palace with Sarkozy and then-Qatari crown prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani shortly before the vote, “the president (Sarkozy) never asked me to vote for one country or another, but I got the impression that he supported Qatar.” The Qatar World Cup is the first to be held in the Middle East and the first during the Northern Hemisphere winter.
It takes place from 20 November to 18 December.
The vote to award the tournament to Qatar was surrounded by accusations of corruption.
“I didn’t care if someone was influenced here or there,” Blatter said, adding that as the voting process went on, he realised that “other forces were at work”.
“The Qataris didn’t give gifts to the people who were voting, they gave them to their countries,” Blatter said.
Blatter was FIFA president for 17 years but was forced to step down in 2015 over allegations he unlawfully arranged a transfer of two million Swiss francs ($2.2 million) to Platini, who was also forced to resign from his position at FIFA.
FIFA initially banned Blatter from football for eight years, later reduced to six, over the payment to Platini. Blatter’s ban was extended to 2028 for violations of FIFA’s code of ethics.
Blatter and Platini were found not guilty of fraud at a trial in Switzerland in July.
SLATER: WILDCARDS AND INJURED STARS IN AUSSIE WC SQUAD
Graham Arnold will name his 26-man squad for Australia’s World Cup campaign on Tuesday afternoon – with a handful of spots still to be decided.
So who misses out? And who has surged late to book their spot on the plane to Doha? And has Arnold seen enough from his injured stars to trust them with a precious World Cup berth?
Socceroos great Robbie Slater has run his eye over Australia’s contenders and come up with his predicted squad.
GOALKEEPERS
Mat Ryan
Despite his move to Denmark from Spain in the search of regular first-team football not having gone to plan, Ryan remains Australia’s first-choice keeper, and don’t forget that he’s also our skipper.
Mitchell Langerak
After another excellent season in between the posts for his Japanese club Nagoya Grampus, Langerak must go to the World Cup now that he has ended his retirement from international football. Will definitely have Ryan looking over his shoulder.
Andrew Redmayne
Following his penalty-shootout heroics in June’s World Cup playoff against Peru, Redmayne is part of Australian sporting folklore and deserves to be among the three keepers going to Qatar. He has also been in solid form for Sydney FC.
DEFENDERS
Harry Souttar
Graham Arnold has massive wraps on towering centre-back Souttar, and rightly so. There is obvious concern due to his lack of football after requiring a knee construction, but at least he has played some games recently for Stoke City’s under-21 team.
Trent Sainsbury
Kye Rowles’ unfortunate foot injury is likely to mean there’s a place for Sainsbury in the squad but if he does get game time in Qatar he will need to improve on his recent display against New Zealand.
Bailey Wright
The Sunderland defender sealed his spot in the World Cup squad after emerging as an unlikely hero of the Socceroos’ successful playoffs campaign in June in the heart of Australia’s defence alongside Rowles.
Milos Degenek
Degenek has always proved to be reliable and serviceable in a Socceroos jersey, and has played a decent amount of football this year for his American Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew.
Aziz Behich
An underrated hero of the Socceroos’ World Cup playoffs campaign, Behich is clearly Australia’s first-choice left-back. He has also been in solid form for his Scottish club Dundee United.
Joel King
The Denmark-based former Sydney FC young gun will provide the back-up to Behich at left-back, with his superior defending giving him the nod over the more attacking-minded Jason Davidson.
Fran Karacic
Right-back is a position that is truly up for grabs in Australia’s best XI, with the dependable Italy-based Karacic, who grows in confidence with every Socceroos appearance, among the top two contenders.
Nathaniel Atkinson
The former Melbourne City defender is Karacic’s rival for the right-back spot. If Graham Arnold opts for a more attacking option, Atkinson – whose move to Scottish club Hearts has paid dividends – is your man.
MIDFIELDERS
Jackson Irvine
Among the first few players on Australia’s team sheet, Irvine has established himself as the rock of the Socceroos’ midfield. He’s not afraid to do the dirty work but also has the class to get himself in vital positions in the opposition’s penalty area.
Aaron Mooy
Regular football at Celtic under Ange Postecoglou, albeit not always as a starter, has Mooy hopefully ready to weave some magic in Qatar. Showed his class and grit during the World Cup playoffs in June on the back of very little football.
Ajdin Hrustic
An unfortunate injury means Hrustic will go into the World Cup with not enough football under his belt, but the Italy-based playmaker is worth the gamble such is his class and ability to produce a game-breaking moment.
Tom Rogic
He has barely played enough football in the past six months, but Rogic should go to the World Cup, if at the very least as insurance for the currently injured Hrustic. With World Cup squads being increased to 26, it allows room for the former Celtic star.
Riley McGree
The former Adelaide United star needs to be playing more often for his club side Middlesbrough, but McGree makes the World Cup squad as he offers something a little bit different to the rest of Australia’s midfield.
Cameron Devlin
The former Wellington Phoenix midfielder’s move to Scottish club Hearts has proven to be a huge success, and should get him a spot in the squad ahead of Denis Genreau and Connor Metcalfe, who both aren’t playing enough first-team football.
ATTACKERS
Martin Boyle
It would be a huge setback for the Socceroos if Boyle – our best attacking weapon – can’t recover from his knee problem in time for the World Cup. Even if he’s not ready for our first game against France, he must be in the squad.
Mathew Leckie
With two World Cups already under his belt, Leckie’s experience, encouraging A-League form, and ability to play out wide and centrally in attack makes him an important part of Australia’s plans in Qatar.
Awer Mabil
His move to Spain hasn’t led to regular first-team football, but Mabil remains the Socceroos’ best option on the left wing. His confidence also remains high after scoring a memorable goal against New Zealand in September.
Craig Goodwin
Despite missing the September series against New Zealand because osteitis pubis, Adelaide star Goodwin has followed his recovery plan perfectly and will take some fine A-League form with him to Qatar
Mitchell Duke
Duke’s ongoing commitment to the Socceroos’ cause can’t be questioned. Can be used as a battering ram in attack and he also has the ability to get himself into some glorious goalscoring positions.
Jamie Maclaren
Earns a spot in the squad due to his excellent A-League goalscoring form over several seasons. The Melbourne City marksman is yet to show he can have a similar impact at international level, but he deserves a spot in the 26.
Adam Taggart
A mix of Duke and Maclaren, Taggart has had an unfortunate run of injuries in recent years, and that has cost him Socceroos appearances. Qatar could be the stage for the former Jets, Glory and Roar striker that he’s Australia’s best option at centre-forward.
Jason Cummings
You want in-form players at a World Cup, particularly when preparation is limited, and there’s no doubting the A-League form of Cummings. He has already shown he isn’t overawed in a Socceroos jersey, and that confidence and belief in himself will be crucial in Qatar.
Garang Kuol
Kuol is the Socceroos’ wildcard. He’s only 18, but that doesn’t matter. His class has earned him a contract with English Premier League side Newcastle, and his combination at club level with Cummings will be to Australia’s advantage.
THE 100/1 WORLD CUP DARK HORSE YOU NEED TO KNOW
Bookmaker Betr has installed heavyweights Spain/Germany/France/England/Brazil/Belgium/Argentina all at 10/a to win the World Cup. and while a strong argument can be made for any of those teams to win the tournament, there is a sleeper hanging out at 100/1 that deserves your attention.
Perhaps no country in international soccer punches above its weight better than Uruguay, a tiny country of 3.5 million people sandwiched between Brazil (214 million) and Argentina (45.3 million). Despite being only the 10th-biggest country in South America, Uruguay has won 15 Copa America titles (tied for most with Argentina) and two World Cups (1930, 1950), making it one of six nations to have hoisted to Jules Rimet Trophy more than once.
It’s been a while since Uruguay has tasted glory — its last Copa America title came in 2011 — and La Celeste’s history in World Cups over 70 years ago is irrelevant to how they’ll perform in 2022 – but it does show that Uruguay has the pedigree and system in place to have success in these formats. They’re doing something right, as evidenced by a trip to the semi-finals in 2010 and impressive group-stage records in 2014 and 2018 (Uruguay won five of six matches in that span, beating England, Italy and Portugal).
In 15 years under Oscar Tabarez, you knew what to expect from Uruguay. They would play a well-structured defensive style that was tough to break down and always made them a live underdog.
Tabarez’s preferred tactic, which would see Uruguay pack the middle of the pitch, dig in defensively and hope Diego Forlan, Edison Cavani or Luis Suarez would provide a moment of magic, gave more skilled teams fits.
And that style of play fit Uruguay. La Celeste didn’t have the talent to go back and forth with elite teams, so they did everything in their power to turn contests into coin flips.
But Tabarez is now gone and it seems like the strength of the Uruguay roster has shifted from the back of the pitch to the attacking third. Suarez and Cavani are still around and will play their parts in Qatar, but Uruguay will look to Fede Valverde (Real Madrid), Darwin Nunez (Liverpool) and Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham) to carry them to new heights, while still maintaining that commitment to being tough to play against.
On the field, Uruguay ticks a couple of boxes you look for in a sleeper bet. They’ve got experience playing together and there’s plenty of talent on this roster, but what’s most appealing about a bet on La Celeste is their draw.
Uruguay was drawn into Group H, which will pit them against a vulnerable favourite in Portugal and two teams that Uruguay should be able to beat, South Korea and Ghana.
And even though Portugal is the favourite to win the group — which is critical because the second-place team will likely face Brazil in the Round of 16 — that’s not a sure thing. The Portuguese are a high-ceiling, low-floor side and there’s definitely a world where Uruguay is able to finish atop Group H and set up a very winnable showdown with either Serbia, Switzerland or Cameroon.
At some point we’ll see a dark horse win the World Cup and the wide-open nature of this field sets up well for a bet on a gatecrasher.
And of the realistic long shots, Uruguay ticks every box.
This article appeared in the New York Post
HUGE WORLD CUP BLOW FOR FRANCE AS SUPERSTAR RULED OUT
Paul Pogba will miss France’s World Cup defence as he needs more time to recover from knee surgery, his agent announced on Monday.
“Following yesterday and today’s medical review in Torino and Pittsburgh, it is extremely painful to inform Paul Pogba will still need recovery time from his surgery,” said Rafaela Pimenta in a statement.
“For this reason, Paul will not be able to join Juventus’ squad before the World Cup break nor the French National Team in Qatar.”
Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri had already said last week that it was “very unlikely” that the 29-year-old midfielder would play for his team before Serie A breaks up for the World Cup.
Italian media reported earlier on Monday that Pogba could be out for around 15 days with a thigh injury.
“Paul Pogba, in light of the recent radiological examinations performed … and the consultation carried out in Pittsburgh by Prof. Volker Musahl on the evaluation of his knee, needs to continue his rehabilitation program,” Juve said in a statement.
Pogba is one of 12 Juve players currently out of action.
He hasn’t played for Juve since re-signing for them from Manchester United in the summer, hurting the meniscus in his right knee in July.
He initially elected not to go under the knife in a bid to make the Qatar tournament which kicks off on November 20.
However after returning to training early last month Pogba changed his mind and opted for surgery, which kept him on the sidelines until two weeks ago when he recommenced partial training with Juve.
Pogba was a key member of the France team that won the World Cup in Russia four years ago. He scored in the 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final.
His absence from Didier Deschamps’ squad adds to that of midfield partner N’Golo Kante, who has been ruled out for four months following surgery on a hamstring injury.
The 31-year-old Kante had not featured for Chelsea since limping off against Tottenham in August.
Missing the World Cup is another blow in what has been a hard year for Pogba, who is also embroiled in an alleged extortion plot involving his own brother.
Mathias Pogba, 32, was charged last month along with four other people, all close to the World Cup winner who filed a complaint with Turin prosecutors in July which said he was being blackmailed for 13 million euros ($12.6 mn).
Paul Pogba told investigators that his blackmailers wanted to discredit him by claiming he asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on Paris Saint-Germain and France star Kylian Mbappe, which Pogba denies.
Originally published as World Cup 2022: Fans to pay hundreds of dollars for beers in Qatar
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