“Que-re-mos Cerveza! Que-re-mos Cerveza!”

So came the chant from the visitors section of Al Bayt Stadium Sunday in Qatar — where the host nation played Ecuador in the first match of the 2022 World Cup. That chant from the Ecuador section translates to: We want beer! We want beer!

The thirsty fans were chanting in protest of the last-minute move by Qatar to dramatically limit the sale of beer at the World Cup, despite a reported $75 million exclusive sponsorship by Anheuser Busch to sell its drinks at the event.

Qatar’s human rights record has come under heavy scrutiny leading up to what is the biggest sporting event in the world. More than 6,500 migrant workers reportedly died while building the stadiums and other new facilities in preparation for the world cup. Multiple journalists have also reported threats from Qatar officials ahead of the matches. And Qatar has laws on the books which criminalize LGTBQ people.

On opening day, it was the beer ban which drew the ire of the visiting crowd. They did, however, take solace in the result of the match — as Ecuador defeated Qatar 2-0.

Watch above.

The post ‘Queremos Cerveza!’ Ecuadorian Fans Demand Beer During World Cup Opener, After Qatar Angers Soccer World With Last-Minute Decision to Limit Sales first appeared on Mediaite.

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