Beer sales are prohibited near stadiums in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Just two days before the tournament’s start, FIFA and Qatar banned beer sales near the eight World Cup stadiums in a dramatic policy reversal.

The decision was made, according to football’s international governing body, after “discussions” with World Cup host Qatar, an Islamic nation that strongly prohibits alcohol use.

However, it didn’t explain why the unexpected choice was made.

Alcohol sales will be concentrated in the fan zones, according to a FIFA statement, “removing beer sales points from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters.”

Before the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador on Sunday, dozens of beer tents had already been erected up at the stadiums.

The 29-day competition is expected to draw more than a million spectators, according to Qatar, and FIFA has a long-standing sponsorship agreement with significant brewer Budweiser, which is owned by AB InBev.

The statement continued, “AB InBev’s understanding and continued support to our joint commitment to cater to everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 are greatly appreciated by the tournament organizers.

The main FIFA fan zone in Doha, some private fan zones, as well as about 35 hotel and restaurant bars, will continue to serve beer, which is sold in VIP suites in stadiums and is distributed by the world football’s governing body.