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The owner of American beer giant Budweiser said Friday that restrictions at World Cup matches were "beyond our control," after FIFA and host nation Qatar announced sales at stadiums would not go ahead. AB InBev acknowledged the action taken merely days before the first match kickoff on Sunday, saying "some of the planned stadium activations cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control," a company spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.

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As per several media outlets, this decision came following the intervention of the royal family in the matter just two days before the start of the showpiece event in Qatar. This situation has now put FIFA in a spot as they had already signed a deal, believed to be worth nearly $75 million, with the German brand Budweiser. The latter were supposed to sell their beers in the designated drinking zones inside the stadiums three hours prior to an encounter and an hour following it.

Also read: Ahead of World Cup, Qatar does a U-Turn on beer sale, FIFA’s $75mn Budweiser deal in limbo

A source with knowledge of the decision told Reuters, "A larger number of fans are attending from across the Middle East and South Asia, where alcohol doesn’t play such a large role in the culture.” "The thinking was that, for many fans, the presence of alcohol would not create an enjoyable experience."