Beer-drinking football fans should be able to savour their favorite beverage during matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup after Brazilian lawmakers approved a bill suspending a ban on sales in stadiums.
The bill regulating the beautiful game's quadrennial extravaganza received near unanimous support in the House of Deputies, paving the way for beer to be sold in plastic cups inside the venues.
Sales of alcoholic beverages in sports arenas have been banned in Brazil since 2003 but the World Cup bill will create an exception that had been demanded by world governing body FIFA.
The bill, which still has to be endorsed by the Senate before being ratified by President Dilma Rousseff, will also allow beer to be sold in stadiums during the 2013 Confederations Cup.
FIFA had sought the exception over an agreement with its sponsor, US-based Anheuser-Busch brand Budweiser, and because banning beer sales in 12 Brazilian host cities would have hit the football organisation's revenues.
