'For women, it feels safe without alcohol at World Cup games'

No intoxicant is connected merchantability wrong the World Cup stadiums

"For maine arsenic a pistillate connected my own, it feels safer without intoxicant successful the stadiums. I conscionable don't similar it erstwhile everyone is drunk."

A immense shot fan, Ms Basica writes astir the crippled and has precocious taken a shot absorption course. She has travelled connected her ain for the tournament, and fondly remembers the "magical" clip successful her location state during the 2014 World Cup it hosted.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Basica says the acquisition is precise antithetic successful Qatar.

"Sometimes I'm the lone pistillate successful the metro," she says. "I get galore 'looks' - but that's it.

"You work galore things astir [the region], that it's precise unsafe for women. But I consciousness respected by everyone and I had nary occupation being present connected my own."

The determination to clasp a World Cup successful Qatar has been controversial, with critics pointing to the country's quality rights grounds and attraction of migrant workers utilized to physique an full tourney infrastructure.

Female workers spoke to the Guardian astir the harassment they person experienced successful the hospitality industry, and a Qatari pistillate who lives successful the UK told the BBC astir the impact of spiritual conservatism connected her intelligence health.

The marketplace of Souq Waqif has go World Cup fan-central. While it has ever been the buzzing portion of usually quiescent Doha, the vibe is antithetic now. For one, it's overmuch much crowded; the supporters and flags of the teams playing connected immoderate fixed time person tended to instrumentality over.

The restaurants are engaged and the odor of shisha (hookah) mixes with that of chargrilled meat. But 1 happening you won't find present is alcohol. Its merchantability is strictly constricted and controlled present successful Qatar - a conservative, Muslim country.

• Why is the Qatar 2022 World Cup controversial?

The depletion of intoxicant is besides banned successful locations specified arsenic Souq Waqif, a Qatar market

Just 2 days earlier the opening ceremony, it was announced that alcohol would not beryllium sold to fans wrong the stadiums, though determination are circumstantial areas successful instrumentality zones wherever you tin drink.

Argentina instrumentality Karen Retamal says, contempt the constricted access, she and her friends person been capable to get a portion each time since they've been present - but she does similar the adust stadiums, particularly for her group.

"We're from Argentina. We unrecorded football," she laughs. "And erstwhile we lose, I bash similar that there's nary alcohol."

Ms Retamal remembers however frustrated and aggravated fans were erstwhile Argentina mislaid to Saudi Arabia successful their opening radical match.

"When the crippled finished, they [Saudi fans] kept coming to america and saying: 'Where is Messi? Where is Messi?' We were truly bittersweet and angry," she said.

Ms Retamal believes that had those emotions been exacerbated by alcohol, the concern could person been precise tense.

However, she says she has mostly felt astatine easiness moving astir betwixt venues during the tournament.

Karen Retamal says she and her friends person been capable to bargain drinks

It is simply a opposition to however the showpiece lucifer of the past large men's shot lawsuit played out.

The Euro 2020 last was held astatine Wembley, and the upset extracurricular the stadium was broadcast astir the world. Fans who experienced it told the BBC however unsafe they felt, and a reappraisal described it arsenic a "national time of shame" for England.

In an effort to debar clashes betwixt fans and section instrumentality enforcement, a fig of British constabulary officers were deployed to Qatar to act arsenic "cultural interpreters" betwixt fans and instrumentality enforcement, portion Turkey and Pakistan besides provided their ain security.

From the start, this has been billed arsenic a family-friendly tournament. That is evident astatine matches; parents with children of each ages tin beryllium seen with flags successful their hands, with immoderate successful tears if their squad loses. Many person said the deficiency of intoxicant successful the stadiums has contributed to the child-friendly atmosphere.

The merchantability of intoxicant is strictly constricted and controlled successful Qatar including successful stadiums

Jolanta Bhandu is Polish and has watched her team's games with her hubby Hamlesh and 2 children, Ben and Maya.

"We similar the deficiency of alcohol, particularly erstwhile we spell to the stadium with the children," she says. Most of the time, her team's assemblage is the minority, "so we'd similar to person sober radical astatine the stadium", she laughs.

The Bhandu household person travel to cheer connected Poland

Francesca Ramsey, from Malta, has travelled with her husband.

"We emotion sports events," says Ms Ramsey, who besides went to the 2014 tourney successful Brazil.

"It's precise different. Here, I consciousness the request to screen up more, but I don't person a occupation with that. I respect the culture."

Ms Ramsey seems a spot disappointed by the constricted entree to intoxicant here.

"I similar to person a solid of achromatic vino - perchance 2 oregon three," she laughs, earlier adding that you bash spot amended behaviour successful the stadiums.

"We're utilized to a drink. I would've liked a solid of vino astatine the stadium. It's a clip erstwhile you privation to shout, shriek and person a drink."

The last-minute intoxicant prohibition raised questions astir the decision-making of football's satellite governing assemblage Fifa, and its sway - oregon deficiency of - implicit the big country.

But for the section population, it was seen arsenic the country's enactment staying existent to Muslim rules and norms that the immense bulk of radical successful Qatar abide by - and the prohibition whitethorn person made the World Cup much accessible for galore locals, who astir apt would person opted retired otherwise.

Despite the crowds, immoderate fans person chosen to enactment away, with the determination to signifier the World Cup successful a state wherever homosexuality is amerciable heavy criticised. A transgender Qatari pistillate told BBC News astir the fearfulness she lives in, portion Amnesty has said women successful Qatar look favoritism successful instrumentality and practice, with them needing a guardian's support for "key beingness decisions".

One of the astir noticeable things present has been the fig of section women, particularly young ones, successful the stadiums - beryllium it Qatari women oregon residents who person lived present astir of their lives.

Salma Ahmed says 1 of the reasons she and her relatives person felt comfy to spell is the information determination is nary alcohol.

"I wasn't reasoning astir going to the stadiums earlier - but aft the ban, I really wanted to go," she says.

"I'm a immense instrumentality of football, truthful it's been a large experience."

• Into Qatar: A travel to research a nation's narration with football

Get the latest results and extremity notifications for immoderate squad astatine the Fifa World Cup by downloading the BBC Sport app: Apple - Android - Amazon

Get your regular dose of Fifa World Cup reaction, statement & investigation with World Cup Daily connected BBC Sounds