Jun 07, 2012:  Brazil president Dilma Rousseff announced on Wednesday that her administration will lift the ban of selling beer in stadiums when the country hosts the 2014 soccer World Cup championship games.  Soccer’s ruling body FIFA had requested a change in the law following an agreement it signed with a major brewery.

The measure also applies to the Confederations Cup, to be held in 2013. It was finally published Wednesday following a long battle with members of parliament and of the Senate, who had approved the text on May 9.

After FIFA spent many months lobbying Brazil to soften its stance on beer in stadiums, Brazil secured from FIFA guarantees that it could sell a minimum number of match tickets at half-price to students, people aged over 60 and those who normally receive government hand-outs.