Ecuador fans have made their feelings known on the World Cup’s beer ban, singing “queremos cerveza” (we want beer) during their team’s opening World Cup game against Qatar.
Ecuador may have won its group game clash against tournament host Qatar 2-0, but their fans didn’t win the fight to secure a beer mid game. Despite repeated chants from the bright yellow shirted fans demanding beer, no platter of Heineken or Pilsener was handed out (or allowed to be sold in the stadium).
WATCH: Ecuador fans chant ‘we want beer’ during World Cup opener
Journalist Javier Lanza was on the ground to secure footage of the chanting, calling the song the first hit of the World Cup. Budweiser Brazil responded by saying: “The voice of the people is the voice of God!”
Further fan footage posted by Maferegas showed how it felt to be within the stadium, amongst all the commotion.
A fan responded to the Tweet: “That’s why I didn’t go to #QatarWorldCup2022… here at home drinking a wine in short and empierced with my husband. Jajajajajaja and without passing heat. The emotion of being there is another thing.”
Qatar, a country with strict laws on alcohol consumption, made a controversial U-turn just two days out from the start of World Cup 2022, when it banned alcohol from the football stadiums for the entire World Cup (something which Budweiser, who paid AU $112 million for pouring rights, won’t be best pleased with).
In the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador, the home side lost 2-0, with many home fans leaving the stadium well before the final whistle. Ecuador scored twice in the first half before taking it a little easier in the second half. There was also a controversial VAR call, which stopped them netting a third.
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