Brazil Lifts Alcohol Restrictions For World Cup

Soccer fans traveling to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup can breathe a sigh of relief: After some debate, new legislation passed this week to allow beer sales at the stadium.

The country now prohibits all alcohol sales at sporting events, but a new set of rules approved by the Senate would allow beer sales temporarily. The reason for the law, Businessweek reports, is the concern of violence stemming from alcohol abuse. However, the new rules have made some Brazilian senators unhappy. "Like the majority of the population, I was against allowing (the sale of alcohol inside stadiums)," Senator Ana Amelia said to Bernama.com. "We are just ratifying what was done by the executive branch."

FIFA stepped in on Tuesday to help expedite the process of a Senate vote, and with good reasson — Anheuser-Busch is the sponsor of the World Cup, and recently renewed its beer sponsorship through 2022.