Register

    Budweiser brewer renews with FIFA despite World Cup stadium beer ban in Qatar

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1533 Views
    President Gianni Infantino meets the media at the FIFA World Cup closing press conference in Doha, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

    By Graham Dunbar, Sports Writer

    GENEVA (AP) --

    Budweiser will still be the official World Cup beer through the 2026 tournament in the United States, after brewer AB InBev renewed with FIFA on Thursday despite a troubled time with men's 2022 World Cup host Qatar.

    Two days before the tournament began in Qatar, World Cup organizers withdrew a longstanding promise to let fans at stadiums buy beer with alcohol.

    The move blindsided the brewer whose Budweiser brand has been the World Cup beer since the 1986 tournament.

    FIFA seemed unable to protect AB InBev under pressure from Qatar in a dispute which seemed a potential breach of contract issue for soccer's world body. The conservative Muslim nation signed up to honor FIFA's commercial partners when it started bidding to be host in 2009.

    Though sales of Budweiser dropped in stadiums, the global publicity over the dispute arguably boosted the brewer and left little doubt which brand was tied to the World Cup.

    A renewal for the 2026 World Cup seemed a done deal even during the dispute in Doha. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said then that relations with AB InBev were good and handshakes had been exchanged before arriving in Qatar.

    There was no mention of past problems Thursday in a FIFA statement confirming AB InBev would sponsor the Women's World Cup that kicks off next month in Australia and New Zealand, and the men's 2026 tournament which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico and will increase to 104 games from 64.

    "FIFA World Cup tournaments are the most popular sporting events in the world" AB InBev chief marketing officer Marcel Marcondes said. "We are deeply connected to the fans and to football all over the world, which is why we're excited about extending the relationship with FIFA."

    The value of the renewal was not stated. The sponsorship was reported to be about $75 million for the previous World Cup.

    Tags:AB InBevBudweiserWorld Cup



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment