A woman holding a flag outside a World Cup venue
No alcohol is on sale inside the World Cup stadiums

It feels safer for me as a woman on my own. I don't like it when people are drinking.

Bete Basica traveled from Sao Paolo to support Brazil. She came to Souq Waqif to buy souvenirs before she left.

Ms Basica is a big football fan and recently took a football management course. She has traveled on her own for the tournament, and remembers the "magical" time she spent in her home country during the World Cup.

Ms Basica says the experience is not the same as in other countries.

She says that sometimes she's the only woman in the metro. I get a lot of looks, but that's all.

Many people think that the region is dangerous for women. I didn't have a problem being on my own.

Short presentational grey line

Critics have pointed out the country's human rights record and treatment of migrant workers used to build the infrastructure for the World Cup.

Female workers spoke to the Guardian about the harassment they have experienced in the hospitality industry, and a Qatari woman who lives in the UK told the BBC about the impact of religious conservatism on her mental health.

Souq Waqif has become a hub for World Cup fans. It has always been a hive of activity, but the vibe has changed. The supporters and flags of the teams playing on any given day have taken over.

The smell of shisha and chargrilled meat mix with the busy restaurants. Alcohol will not be found here. It is only sold in a country that is conservative and muslim.

  • Why is the Qatar 2022 World Cup controversial?
Souq Waqif
The consumption of alcohol is also banned in locations such as Souq Waqif, a Qatar market

Two days before the opening ceremony, it was announced that alcohol wouldn't be sold to fans inside the stadiums, but there are certain areas where you can drink.

Since they've been here, Karen and her friends have been able to get a drink every day, but she prefers the dry stadiums.

They are from Argentina. She says we live football. I prefer not to drink when we lose.

When Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia in their first match, fans were angry.

The Saudi fans kept asking where Messi was after the game ended. There is a question regarding the location of Messi. She said that they were sad and angry at the same time.

The situation could have been very tense if alcohol had been involved.

She feels at ease moving between venues during the tournament.

Karen Retamal
Karen Retamal says she and her friends have been able to buy drinks

The showpiece match of the last men's football event played out in a different way.

The Euro 2020 final was held at Wembley and there was a lot of disorder outside. It was described as a "national day of shame" for England by fans who experienced it.

A number of British police officers were sent to the Middle East to act as "cultural interpreters" between fans and law enforcement, while Turkey and Pakistan provided their own security.

This has been billed as a family friendly tournament from the beginning. Parents with children of all ages can be seen holding flags with tears in their eyes if their team loses a match. The child friendly atmosphere has been attributed to the lack of alcohol in the stadiums.

Japan fans at a match in Qatar
The sale of alcohol is strictly limited and controlled in Qatar including in stadiums

Jolanta Bhandu is a Polish woman who watches her team's games with her husband and two kids.

She says that they like the lack of alcohol when they go to the stadium with the children. She says that most of the time, her team's crowd is the minority, so they would prefer to have sober people at the stadium.

The Bhandu family
The Bhandu family have come to cheer on Poland

The wife of a man has traveled with her.

Ms Ramsey and her husband went to the tournament in Brazil two years ago.

It's not the same." I don't have a problem with covering up more here. I'm respectful of the culture.

Ms Ramsey doesn't like the fact that there is limited access to alcohol here.

She says she likes to drink two or three glasses of white wine.

We're used to drinking. A glass of wine would have been nice. It's a time when you want to have fun.

Questions about the decision-making of football's world governing body, and its influence over the host country, were raised by the alcohol ban.

For the local population, it was seen as the country's leadership staying true to Muslim rules, and the ban may have made the World Cup more accessible for many locals.

Despite the crowds, some fans have chosen to stay away, with the decision to stage the World Cup in a country where homosexuality is illegal heavily criticised. A transgender Qatari woman told BBC News about the fear she lives in, while Amnesty has said women in Qatar face discrimination in law and practice, with them needing a guardian's permission for "key life decisions".

The number of local women in the stadiums is one of the most noticeable things about this place.

The fact that there is no alcohol is one of the reasons that she and her family are comfortable going.

She says she wanted to go after the ban.

I'm a big fan of football and it's been a great experience.

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