The eye-watering cost of attending the 2022 World Cup has been exposed by a new report, which claims England fans will have to fork out thousands of pounds to stay in Qatar.
An investigation by The Sun has revealed that supporters of the Three Lions could be forced to pay up to £9,000 per night for a hotel in the country during the tournament, which gets underway on November 21.
More than one-and-a-half million fans are expected to travel to Qatar, which is only around the size of Yorkshire, and there are growing doubts over whether the country will be able to cope with the influx of visitors.
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Most hotels are already booked up, with the remaining rooms now soaring in price following Friday’s World Cup draw.
Direct flights to Qatar could also cost as much as £1063, while a ticket to a match could set fans back £724.
Should fans make it to Qatar, it is likely to cost them a small fortune to drink at the tournament.
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The Gulf nation, which is home to just under three million people, has some of the most expensive alcohol prices in the world.
A pint of Heineken costs £11.50, while a glass of wine is around £11.
Alcohol will only be available in special zones around stadiums and in specific venues in the country’s capital Doha.
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Anyone caught drinking in public outside of these zones could be sentenced to six months in jail.
Qatar tourism chief Berthold Trenkel says special drinking measures will be put in place during the tournament but has warned: “It will be different inside the actual stadiums.
“There will only be zero alcohol beer actually inside.”
British expat Angela Norton, 60, who emigrated to Qatar from Chester with her husband seven years ago, has warned England fans they face a huge culture shock.
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She said: “There are lots of rules they won’t be aware of like the need for women to cover up in malls.
“If you wear shorts or a little dress you will get told off and the other women will spit at you.
“The cost of alcohol is so high that most expats only drink at happy hour between 5pm and 8pm where a pint of beer is still nearly £8.
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“Drinking in public is banned and if you try, the police will turn up and take you to jail. There are CCTV cameras everywhere.”
Topics: Qatar, Football World Cup, Football, England
Rory O'Callaghan