Despite the World Cup 2022 fiasco, Budweiser has renewed World Cup sponsor deal with FIFA. Budweiser will still be the official World Cup beer through the 2026 tournament in the United States, after brewer AB InBev renewed with FIFA. Budweiser is brewed by AB InBev.

Last year, as we discussed here – Qatar Bans Alcohol Sales at World Cup in Last Second Decision – with just days to go before the tournament kicked off, Qatar banned alcohol sales at the World Cup. Creating a disturbance for the Budweiser and FIFA sponsorship deal that had Budweiser proclaimed The Beer of the World Cup. (This happened just two days before the tournament began in Qatar, World Cup organizers withdrew a longstanding promise to let fans at stadiums buy beer with alcohol.)

The Budweiser brand by AB InBev was the official beer of the World Cup since the 1986 tournament. Despite this, Budweiser is still more than willing to become the sponsorship again for the Men’s Tournament in 2026 – hosted by North American countries (United States, Mexico, and Canada).

FIFA seemed unable to protect AB InBev under pressure from Qatar in a dispute which appeared to be a potential breach of contract issue for soccer’s world body. The conservative Muslim nation signed up to honor FIFA’s commercial partners when it started bidding to be host in 2009.

Though sales of Budweiser dropped in stadiums, the global publicity over the dispute arguably boosted the brewer and left little doubt which brand was tied to the World Cup.

Budweiser – FIFA Sponsorship (ESPN)

Budweiser As The Official Beer

AB InBev is certainly looking forward to having Budweiser brand being the official beer of the World Cup again; especially after recent set backs with their Budweiser Light (Bud Light) brand in the wake of the Republican / Conservative outcry in recent months.

Budweiser will also be the official beer of the Women’s World Cup which is set to kick off next month in Australia and New Zealand. (This was already a deal in place before today’s announcement.)

A renewal for the 2026 World Cup seemed a done deal even during the dispute in Doha. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said then that relations with AB InBev were good and handshakes had been exchanged before arriving in Qatar.

Budweiser – FIFA Sponsorship (ESPN)

The Men’s World Cup Tournament is scheduled for 2026 and will see an increased tournament structure; going to 104 games (from the previous 64). The tournament is due to be co – hosted by the North American countries of Canada, United States, and Mexio.

FIFA World Cup tournaments are the most popular sporting events in the world. We are deeply connected to the fans and to football all over the world, which is why we’re excited about extending the relationship with FIFA.

AB InBev chief marketing officer Marcel Marcondes

In the press conference the value of the renewal was not stated. The sponsorship was reported to be about seventy five million ($75,000,000) for the previous World Cup, hosted in Qatar.

More Information on Budweiser and AB InBev

The following comes from Untappd.

AB InBev (Belgium) is a subsidary of Anheuser-Busch InBev (shortened to Anheuser-Busch on Untappd). They are a macro brewery out of Leuven, Vlaanderen Belgium. They have 29 unique beers with a global average Untappd rating of 3.35 (as of 6.8.23). Their Untappd description reads: As a company, we dream big to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life’s moments, move our industry forward and make a meaningful impact in the world. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest ingredients. Our diverse portfolio of well over 500 beer brands includes global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; multi-country brands Beck’s®, Hoegaarden®, Leffe® and Michelob ULTRA®; and local champions such as Aguila®, Antarctica®, Bud Light®, Brahma®, Cass®, Castle®, Castle Lite®, Cristal®, Harbin®, Jupiler®, Modelo Especial®, Quilmes®, Victoria®, Sedrin®, and Skol®. Our brewing heritage dates back more than 600 years, spanning continents and generations. From our European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium. To the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery in St. Louis, US. To the creation of the Castle Brewery in South Africa during the Johannesburg gold rush. To Bohemia, the first brewery in Brazil. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, we leverage the collective strengths of approximately 164,000 colleagues based in nearly 50 countries worldwide.

Anheuser-Busch is a subsidary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, and is a macro brewery out of St. Louis, Missouri. They have 529 unique beers with a total of 2,866,128 Ratings, and a global average rating of 2.65 (as of 6.8.23). Their top beers are Bud Lite, Budweiser, and Michelob Ultra (in order). Their Untappd description reads: The leading American brewer, bringing people together for more than 160 years.

You can follow them on the following social media:

• Anheuser-Busch – Official Website
• Anheuser-Busch – Instagram
• Anheuser-Busch – Twitter
• Anheuser-Busch – Facebook
• Anheuser-Busch – Untappd

Budweiser is an American Lager by Anheuser-Busch. It has 12 IBU and is 5% ABV. The Untappd description reads: Known as “The King of Beers,” Budweiser was first introduced by Adolphus Busch in 1876 and it’s still brewed with the same high standards today. Budweiser is a medium-bodied, flavorful, crisp American-style lager. Brewed with the best barley malt and a blend of premium hop varieties, it is an icon of core American values like optimism and celebration.

It has over 461,000 ratings, and its global average rating is 2.61 (as of 6.8.23).

World Cup Related Articles

Here are some World Cup related articles:

• Qatar Bans Alcohol Sales Two Days Ahead of World Cup
• Breweries Opening Early For the USA vs Netherlands World Cup Game

Soccer Related Articles

• Beer Review: Pulisic Pilsner (Jackass Brewing Company)
• Book Review: Pulisic – My Journey So Far (Christian Pulisic)

Other Notable Articles

• Guinness Brewing is Closing Their Maryland Production Facility
• River Horse Brewing Company Acquires DuClaw Brewing Company
• FX Matt Brewing Company Acquires Flying Dog Brewery
• Cape May Brewing Acquires Flying Fish Brewery
• Founders Announce Closure of their Detroit Taproom
• Founders Brewing Company Sued for Racial Discrimination (Again) Just Before Detroit Taproom Shut Down
• BrewDog Pittsburgh Has Closed
• Yuengling Releases Limited – Edition Lager Camo Cans to Honor Veterans
• Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies in the United States (2023)
• Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies (2023)
• From Philly to Pittsburgh: Pennsylvania’s Top Craft Breweries You Must Visit
• Top 7 Beers from the AC Brewfest (2023)
• The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Beer: A Guide to the Best Non Alcoholic Brews

Thanks For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including AC Beerfest recaps, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

-B. Kline

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

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The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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The World Cup

The 2022 World Cup is just about on us (kick off for the first game will be the hosts Qatar facing Ecuador). Hosts Qatar will open the tournament with a Group A match against Ecuador on Sunday 20th November at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT/UTC) (or 7:00PM local and 4:00PM EST) in Doha at Al Bayt Stadium.

This is the USMNT’s (United States Men’s National Team) first appearance back in the World Cup after missing the last one (2018) in Russia. Christian Pulisic (Jackass Brewery Announces Pulisic Pilsner – See Article Here) is leading the charge for the men’s team. Local boy to The Beer Thrillers (from Hershey, PA), who we’ve met several times (we were very good friends with his father Mark Pulisic from the Harrisburg Heat, as well as his mother Kelly Pulisic, who my mother actually helped get the paperwork for her to become a teacher) is the biggest asset and piece for the USMNT going into this World Cup.

Interestingly enough, Christian Pulisic has just started commercials ahead of the World Cup promoting Michelob Ultra.

But… seems like there won’t be any Michelob Ultra – or any beer – at the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar Bans Alcohol Sales

As Washington Post just stated in an article twenty minutes ago:

Qatar isn’t a dry country, but the government curtails alcohol sales at almost all restaurants that aren’t associated with a high-end hotel or resort. World Cup organizers had said tourists will be able to drink in designated fan zones within stadiums, but reversed those plans two days before the first game.

Qatar’s Controversial $300 Billion World Cup Is Almost Here: Q&A

Qatar’s Controversial $300 Billion World Cup Is Almost Here: Q&A

As per Sky News:

The sale of alcohol is strictly controlled in Qatar, and is only allowed in the Muslim nation within hotel bars and restaurants away from street view. It had to relax its alcohol restrictions to allow FIFA sponsor Budweiser to sell its products outside match venues and fan zones.

Qatar World Cup: Beer to be banned from all stadiums – except for corporate spectators

There is a bit of a misconception that Qatar is a full dry country. But as these articles stated, its not exactly a dry country, but a very governmental strict ‘banning’ or ‘restrictive’ dryness. Qatar is a constitutional monarchy headed by Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al- Thani. The 2005 constitution provides for hereditary rule by the emir’s male branch of the al-Thani family.

So I think you can somewhat read between the lines on the form of government on that.

Leading up to the World Cup there was lots of talk about alcohol and if beer and liquor would be served at the World Cup games. Almost flip flopping articles were coming out from The New York Times, Washington Post, ESPN, The BBC, Reuters, etc; discussing if they were or weren’t going to be allowing beer and alcohol sales.

Ahead of the tournament itself, in some of the friendlies, Budweiser was served at small, remote locations on the stadium’s venues. But it appears, that just two days ahead of the World Cup itself they’ve reversed their decision and are now banning the beer.

World Cup organisers have banned the sale of alcohol around stadiums in Qatar after last-minute showdown talks, FIFA announced on Friday.

First reported by British newspaper The Times, FIFA and Qatari organisers were engaged in late negotiations over whether beer would be sold at the stadiums during the tournament, which begins on Sunday.

ESPN: Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums in late reversal

ESPN has picked up the article mainly stemming from the British newspaper The Times. Stating that main negotiations are between Budweiser through FIFA and with the Qatar government.

FIFA said in a statement: “Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing the sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters.”

While supporters can purchase alcohol at the official fan zones during the competition, the sale of beer at the matches themselves has been a controversial topic.

It appeared an agreement was originally struck to allow FIFA to permit sponsors Budweiser to sell beer at the stadiums. This was then further clarified in the buildup to the tournament after The New York Times first reported that the beer tents would be less visible at the grounds on request of the hosts.

But it emerged there was late pressure on FIFA to halt sales of alcohol at the stadiums themselves, two days before hosts Qatar kick off the tournament on Sunday against Ecuador.

“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums,” FIFA added.

“Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.

“The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”

ESPN: Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums in late reversal

Just a few minutes ago, Budweiser (through AB InBev) tweeted the following:

Well, this is awkward…— Budweiser (@Budweiser) November 18, 2022

This tweet has since been deleted.

Qatar Hosting Controversies

To say Qatar is a controversial FIFA World Cup host is… well.. an understatement in the minimum. Allegations of bribery, scandals, work arounds, and all kinds of corruption and lies to get the tournament to Qatar have surfaced. One of their initial pitches in 2009 / 2010 were “clouds”. These were supposed to be floating platforms that would hang above the stadiums, similar to drones but on a massive scale, and would push cold air down onto the players and fans, and expel the hot air upwards. Obviously, this technology has never come to fruition.

The selection of Qatar to host this year’s FIFA World Cup brought cheers to the streets of Doha in a celebration of the first edition of the tournament to be held in the Arab world.

But the choice, made in 2010, also sparked instant criticism – over the logistics of holding a sporting event in a country where summertime temperatures regularly top 100 degrees; over allegations of bribery and corruption among FIFA officials who voted for Qatar; and over concerns about human rights abuses that have persisted in the years since.

Now, with the World Cup days away, the Gulf country is expecting the arrival of more than a million fans. And billions more will tune in to watch the tournament’s 64 games. Yet the controversies have not subsided.

Recently, even the former head of FIFA called the selection of Qatar a mistake.

“It was a bad choice. And I was responsible for that as president at the time,” said Sepp Blatter, whose term as FIFA administrator ended in 2015 amid a bribery scandal.

Why Qatar is a controversial host for the World Cup

Two More Days

We are just two more days to the kick off of one of the biggest and fun events that only happens every four years. As a soccer fan I love the World Cup, the history, the games, etc. I remember watching the 1998 tournament and being so engrossed when it was held here in America. And I am eagerly anticipating the 2026 World Cup in North America. Hopefully will get to a game (can’t wait to see how ridiculous the prices will be).

Here’s to hoping that the United States Men’s Team gets it all together and gets a good push and run going. We are in Group B with Wales, England, and Iran. England should be the hardest competition in the group to us. Hopefully we can win out of the group, but second in the group should be at least attainable.

Further Information

• ESPN: Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums in late reversal
• NPR: Why Qatar is a controversial host for the World Cup
• Sky News: Qatar World Cup: Beer to be banned from all stadiums – except for corporate spectators
• The Washington Post: Qatar’s Controversial $300 Billion World Cup Is Almost Here: Q&A

In Other News

Recent local beer news:

• Jackass Brewery Announces Pulisic Pilsner

November

Its still November (obviously) and that means I’m still doing the 30 for 30. So be sure to check back here, and check out the other November articles. Lots of interesting stuff, from Yards Brewing Paying Up on their Wager, to Beer Reviews, to a Hike Review, to the birth of our daughter Scarlet Emma, to brewery news, World Cup news (like this article), Pour Man’s Brewing Moving Their Tap Room, brewfest events like Auto and Ales, Brewsgiving, and Burley Oak’s Controlled Chaos, etc. Thank you for all reading!

Thanks For Reading

Thanks for reading everyone! Things have certainly been a bit hectic here at The Beer Thrillers Headquarters. Spent from 11.09.22 til 11.16.22 in the hospital with getting Scarlet Emma born. …Oh yea, did I mention we had a kid? Thats kinda big news huh? Scarlet Emma was born at 5:52PM on 11.11.22 (Kurt Vonnegut’s 100th Birthday). November is usually a busy month anyway, with Autos and Ales, with Thanksgiving, with me doing my version of NaNoWriMo; where I try and write an article a day for the entire month. So its a very busy month here at The Beer Thrillers, especially now with the introduction of a new baby into our lives. But what a great addition! Wouldn’t change that for anything.

I do want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out to congratulate us on Facebook, Instagram, etc. It means a lot!

And I of course, want to say thank you to everyone who has read any of our articles, commented, liked, shared, subscribed, followed, etc. It means so much to us here at The Beer Thrillers!

I just want to mention one last thing. Pretzels.com has reached out to me to start an affiliate program. Amy and I will be tasting some of their different flavors, writing an article about them, and beer pairings with them, and will have an affiliate link going forward with them. So if you want to get pretzels, please make sure to use our link and our code when we have it all set up. This will help yourself (discounts, yay!), and help us out here at the blog.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!