Ecuadorian enthusiasts chanted “Let’s brew!” in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup against Qatar on Sunday.
Sports journalist Javier Lanza captured the moment at Al Bayt Stadium, where Ecuadorian fans from one of the sections began to make a song in Spanish. .
Still, the enthusiasts had an explanation for why to celebrate when Ecuador beat Qatar 2-0 after two goals from striker Enner Valencia.
On Friday, two days before the match, FIFA announced the last-minute update that would ban alcoholic beverages at the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and authorized venues. Enthusiasts would still have non-alcoholic beer in all 64 games.
Budweiser’s parent company, AB InBev, will pay tens of millions of dollars at each World Cup for exclusive beer sales rights. The company’s partnership with FIFA initiated the 1986 tournament.
In addition to its sea change in its alcohol policy, Qatar has faced a litany of complaints since it was named host of the World Cup, essentially for failing to address alleged abuses against migrant staff and the LGBTQ community. FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Saturday defended Qatar’s human rights record, saying Europeans “apologize for the next 3,000 years before they start teaching ethics to people. “