Saudi Arabia have confirmed that they will not allow alcohol at the 2034 FIFA World Cup, in a move sure to go down well with European fans.
The Gulf nation were awarded the 2034 tournament in controversial circumstances late last year.
Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup 12 years after their neighbours Qatar became the first country in the region to welcome the world's biggest football spectacle.
Many of the problems and controversies that plagued that 2022 tournament in Qatar are set to be present once again in the buildup to the 2034 tournament, and the Saudi Arabian tournament organisers have made the decision to confirm a contentious issue nine years out from hosting.
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Saudi Arabia to follow Qatar's lead in banning alcohol for 2034 World Cup
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, the Muslim nation of Qatar announced a relaxation of its laws on alcohol consumption to allow it to be sold in stadiums for the duration of the tournament. However, mere hours before kick-off in the opening game, they reneged on that promise, much to the chagrin of fans and official tournament sponsors Budweiser.
Saudi Arabia are not set to leave it that late to leave travelling fans dissatisfied - confirming their decision nine years out from kick-off.
No alcohol at 2034 World Cup in Saudi, apparently. pic.twitter.com/5CmyxMeLox
— Jake Wallis Simons (@JakeWSimons) February 12, 2025
Speaking to British radio station LBC, the Saudi ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud said:
Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol. It's not 100% necessary. If you want to drink fter you leave, you're welcome to. But, at the moment, we don't have alcohol.
Rather like our weather, it's a dry country.
Everyone has their own culture. We're happy to accommodate people within the boundaries of our culture, but we don't want to change our culture for someone else.
Really, you can't live without a drink?
The sale of alcohol is completely outlawed in Saudi Arabia bar for non-Muslim diplomats, who can only purchase it from a small alcohol shop in Riyadh.
A repeat of one of the more contentious policies of the 2022 World Cup is no doubt set to be unpopular with match-going fans. However, it will pale in comparison with the human rights concerns that surround the World Cup being held in Saudi Arabia.
Much like when the tournament visited Qatar in 2022, human rights are to be an enormous concern in the buildup to the World Cup's visit to Saudi Arabia. As in 2022, question marks also surround the process that brought the World Cup to the country in the first place.
Should Ireland reach the tournament, it will be a dry one for the fans who manage to make their way to the Middle East. Sure, it'll be better craic at home anyways.
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