Football fans were seen lining up to buy their first beers at the official fan zone in Doha on Saturday.
Thousands of football enthusiasts arrived from different countries sang, danced and cheered their national teams ahead of the first game, to be held on Sunday between Qatar and Ecuador
“Everything start to get better as we now have beer,” said a Dutch fan. “It is a very good one. Without beer it is nothing, we need it,” he added.
Qatar has faced heavy criticism and boycott calls since it was awarded the World Cup organisation in 2010.
The tournament will kick off this Sunday, November 20 amid reports of continued mistreatment of migrant workers who built the stadium infrastructure, as well as Qatar’s stance on LGBT+ rights, where homosexuality remains illegal.