World Cup: Alcohol ban lifted in Brazil stadiums
View of the construction site of a new stadium for the FIFA World Cup 2014, Arena Pantanal, in Cuiaba, Mato Grosso State, Brazil.
SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has signed into law a bill that will allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in stadiums during the World Cup.
The temporary amendment will also be put in place for the 2013 Confederations Cup, reported Agence France-Presse. The bill was finally published Wednesday after a long battle with members of parliament and of the Senate.
According to BBC News, world soccer organization FIFA has been demanding a change in the Brazilian legislation in advance of the 2014 World Cup, where matches will be played across 12 cities in Brazil. The new bill set a number of rules for the international soccer tournament and does not mention any restriction on the sale of alcohol.
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The bill was seen as controversial because the sale of alcohol in Brazilian soccer stadiums is usually illegal, reported the Associated Press. FIFA demanded the change because Budweiser is a major sponsor of the 2014 World Cup.
The new law also includes a stipulation that Brazil can sell a minimum number of match tickets at half-price to students, people over 60 years of age and anyone who normally receives government aid, according to AFP. FIFA has said it will put aside 300,000 tickets to be sold at half their value.
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