“Can’t Take Tequila in Our Luggage”: Mexico’s World Cup Fans Warned of Qatar’s Alcohol Laws

With few exceptions, Qatar has banned alcohol at the upcoming World Cup 2022. Travelers are being cautioned accordingly. Photo: Christopher Pike/Getty Images for Supreme Committee 2022

Mexico expects over 60,000 of its citizens to visit Qatar for the upcoming World Cup 2022. But they are being cautioned to reconsider their usual festivities.

Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard frankly warned, “we can’t take tequila in our luggage.”

Qatar is forbidding visitors from bringing alcohol into the country for the upcoming championship. Instead, alcohol will be sold at several “special zones” around the eight tournament stadiums.

In an added twist, fans who get too drunk will even be sent to “sobering tents” until they act less intoxicated.

This comes as a huge change of pace for typical World Cup festivities, oftentimes defined by drunken antics of both reasonable and unreasonable proportions.

For many fans, Qatar’s rules will be an expensive tax on an already wildly expensive trip.

Mexican travel agents say that fans pay anywhere between $14,000 to $20,000 for an average package to the World Cup.

Combined with Qatar’s special alcohol zones, which will almost certainly be selling alcohol at higher prices than say, the tequila in your luggage, and fans are understandably skeptical.

In an attempt to quell possible issues, a reported 10 members of Mexico’s National Guard will attend the championship unarmed and out of uniform to act as liaisons between Mexican fans and Qatari authorities.

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