England and Iran fans swarmed the Khalifa Stadium ahead of their clash on Monday (Picture: PA)

England fans have begun arriving at Qatar’s Khalifa Stadium ahead of their first World Cup fixture, but football is only second on the agenda for many.

Fans in central Doha seized on the lack of beer as their top concern, with few fears of an upset victory for Iran on Monday afternoon.

With alcohol banned at all stadiums following a last-minute U-turn, supporters made a beeline for the nearest fan zone where sales would be allowed – only to be told it was closed.

Maxi Sterritt, 63, from Preston, said: ‘So far so good, they’re very helpful, the only thing is finding somewhere for a drink, we’re struggling for that.’

Alan Slater, 67, added: ‘It’s what I expected it to be really – you knew before you came it was going to be dear. I’m a bit disappointed the fan zones aren’t open all day.’

Speaking under 28°C sunshine, Mr Slater said fans from various countries had hoped to cool off with a drink isnide the fan zone before and after the game.

He continued: ‘It’s not just us, it’s every fan you talk to from all over – everybody wants a drink.’

Large numbers of Iran fans bore slogans on T-shirts and placards supporting the country’s mass protests against the Iranian government over ongoing human rights abuses against women.

Alan Slater, 67 and Maxi Sterritt, 63 from Preston, said they were ‘struggling’ with the lack of beer (Picture: PA)

Fans were in high spirits despite the limited range of beverages on offer (Picture: Getty)

Some kept themselves entertained at a nearby shopping centre (Picture: PA)

But others chose to bake in sunshine and temperatures of over 28°C (Picture: PA)

Many ended up milling around outside the stadium as the fan zone was closed (Picture: PA)

Iranian fans sought to draw attention to their country’s human rights abuses (Picture: Reuters)

The ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ slogan has become an emblem of anti-government demonstratsions (Picture: Reuters)

Iranians from all walks of life have joined in the demonstrations, sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest by morality police for allegedly breaking strict hijab rules.

It’s not clear if the apparent closure of the fan zones is linked to Sunday’s chaotic scenes outside one such venue where riot police were deployed.

Fears of a crowd crush grew as the fan zone outside the Corniche stadium reached capacity ahead of the tournament’s opening match between Qatar and Ecuador.

England fans were confident of a victory against Iran (Picture: PA)

Meanwhile, Wales fans were seen arriving for their clash against the USA (Picture: PA)

After thousands of fans queueing outside became impatient, armoured officers with batons and shields stormed the entrance area and began pushing back.

Hatem El-Berarri, a Dubai-based Iraqi caught up in the chaos, said of the scenes: ‘It’s very risky. People could die. Old people, women, they cannot handle crowds like this. 

‘Thank God I’m a little bit tall, so I can breathe. But I saw some kids and said ‘get them up. They cannot breathe’. My family is inside. I cannot enter to see them anymore. I don’t know what to do. [The organisation] is not very good.’

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Supporters in Doha were dismayed to find the nearest fan zone, where alcohol sales are allowed, was closed for the day.