The price of beer does not seem to be an obstacle for fans of Brazil in Qatar. With an open bar at R$900, fans of the national team filled a space for events in Doha, in the country’s capital, to have access to drinks and snacks at will.
The crowd warmed up at Salt Water, a club located at the Rixus Golf hotel, a luxury accommodation on the beachfront overlooking the stadium.
At the door, entry cost R$900, but those who put their name on the advance list paid around R$750.
Founder Daniel Victor Leon, 42, recognizes that the price of the event is high. He claims, however, that one of the purposes is to break with the idea that being in a country like Qatar, which is more rigid, is decisive for the way Brazilians will celebrate the World Cup.
“We’re going to do everything the same as we’ve always done,” he says.
The party is a preparation for Brazil’s second game in the World Cup. The match will take place this Monday (28) against Switzerland at stadium 974. The number is a reference to Qatar’s international code and the number of containers recycled for the construction of the arena. The site, close to the port area of ​​Doha, has capacity for around 44,000 people.
Those who attended the event could enjoy live samba from an early age. They also had long neck beer and snacks such as popcorn, fries, mini hamburgers and nachos.
The sand and heat led fans to abandon tennis and risk taking their shirts off. The indoor event provided a safe space amid the country’s strict dress code, which asks the public to avoid showing shoulders and wear clothing above the knee.
The screen remained on during the games of the Brazilian opponents in the Cup, but nobody cared. The focus was on drink, food and samba.
On the horizon, it was possible to see speedboats, yachts and ships in the port, framed by buildings of different sizes and shapes in the central region of Doha.
As in the first warm-up, when the organizers chose another luxury hotel next to the Lusail stadium to ensure that they would not be late for the selection’s debut in the World Cup, this time the space was about 1.5 kilometers from the arena that will receive this Monday’s match.
Striker Neymar and right-back Danilo are out of this match and the entire group stage of the World Cup. Both were injured in the game against Serbia last Thursday (24), when the team secured a 2-0 victory.
“If we have a difficult game with Switzerland, in the second phase we are chipped”, says businessman in the financial sector André Athie, 35, who is betting on a green-and-yellow victory with at least three goals for the Brazilian team.
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