“Alternative, culturally appropriate” arrangements are being made for recipients of the Budweiser-sponsored player of the match awards at the Qatar World Cup who do not wish to associate themselves with alcohol.
Kylian Mbappe has been player of the match in three of France’s four matches at the tournament but has posed with the award facing backwards — meaning the Budweiser logo is not displayed.
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Mbappe, 23, has been very careful over his image and what he is seen to be promoting, as highlighted in a dispute with the French Football Federation (FFF) earlier this year.
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Other players to have been photographed with the player of the match award turned around at the Qatar World Cup include Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar, Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri and Morocco’s Yassine Bounou.
And Budweiser have now responded after claims Mbappe has been hiding its logo deliberately.
A spokesperson for AB InBev, which brews Budweiser, pointed to FIFA’s rule book, which reads: “Alternative, culturally appropriate, arrangements have and will continue to be made for players with bone fide objections on religious grounds.”
These involve the same trophy without the Budweiser logo on it — and Budweiser removed from the backdrop.
Mbappe had also previously avoided speaking to the press after France’s matches, something that is mandatory for player of the match winners.
But after scoring twice and assisting in France’s 3-1 round-of-16 victory over Poland on Sunday, Mbappe appeared before the media and explained his decision.
“It wasn’t anything personal, I have nothing against journalists,” he said. “I just needed to focus on the tournament and my football.
“When I want to concentrate on something, that’s the way I function. That’s why I didn’t do press before. Now I know the FFF get fined and I said I would pay the fine myself, I didn’t think they should pay on my behalf.”
Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy previously refused to accept the Budweiser player of the match award after a game against Uruguay during the 2018 World Cup in Russia. El-Shenawy is of Muslim faith, which generally forbids the consumption of alcohol.
Budweiser has already been engaged in a dispute with FIFA at the Qatar World Cup over the sale of beer at the tournament. It was decided just days before the opening match that its sale would be prohibited.
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(Photo: Getty Images)
