FIFA had awarded Qatar the venue for conducting the Men’s Football world cup 2022. Qatar has since been preparing for the world cup profusely and has modernized its current football stadiums while making some new ones from scratch. The design for such modern stadiums have taken the world in awe ever since they were released and it would be glory for the country to host 32 teams while conducting 65 matches in 12 stadiums it has planned to matches into. Out of those 12, eight stadiums are now ready and operational and the rest will come up shortly. Let us take you to these stadiums to see how wonderfully they have been made.
Lusail Stadium
- Location: Lusail city
- Capacity: Approximately 87,000
- Opening: 2021
- Will host: Opening and closing ceremonies
Lusail Stadium was the biggest stadium to be erected for the 2022 World Cup Qatar and for that a new city itself has been created. The Lusail City will be home to 200,000 people with amazing facilities such as parks, marinas, businesses and theme parts. It will be accessible for football fans through newly constructed roads, Doha Metro as well as the Lusail Light Rail Transit system. This stadium will host the opening and the closing ceremonies.
Al Bayt Stadium
- Location: Al Khor City
- Capacity: 60,000
- Opening: 2020
- Will host: Semi-finals
The Al Bayt Stadium has a nomad-inspired design with a giant tent structure which symbolizes the Qataris and Arabic cultures. It is a beacon for the green development and the stadium has been made portable from all parts of Qatar. After the tournament, the top tier seating arrangement will be removed and given to developing nations that need stadium seating as a goodwill gesture.
Al Rayyan Stadium
- Location: Al Rayyan
- Capacity: Approximately 45,000
- Opening: 2020
- Will host: Quarterfinals
Measures have been taken to ensure that the Al Rayyan stadium has designs that incorporate the Qatari culture into a big undulating façade. The facilities around the stadium will also showcase the Qatari culture with sand dune-shaped structures developed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. In accordance to the governmental friendly policy, half of the 40000 seats of the stadium will be gifted to developing nations for their stadium development.
Al Thumama Stadium
- Location: Al Rayyan
- Capacity: Approximately 45,000
- Opening: 2020
- Will host: Quarterfinals
The Al Thumama Stadium has been designed to represent the Gahfiya – a traditional woven cap worn by males across the Arab world. The cap also showcases dignity and independence and gives a showdown of culture across the times. The stadium has received the prestigious MIPIM/Architectural Review Future Project Award in Sports and stadiums category.
Al Wakrah Stadium
- Location: Al Wakrah
- Capacity: Approximately 45,000
- Status: Opened May 2019
- Will host: Quarterfinals
The Al Wakrah stadium is amongst the best stadiums in the world. The stadium comes with a Souq and museum to look at the rich history of the country. there will be many avenues here such as school, wedding hall, cycling and running tracks, restaurants, marketplaces, gyms and parkland. Apart from the tournament, this stadium will form the home ground for the Al Wakrah Sports club for their Qatar Stars League.
Khalifa International Stadium
- Location: Doha
- Capacity: 50,000 (planning to extend to approximately 68,000)
- Status: Reopened May 2017
The Khalifa Stadium was the first stadium to get inaugurated during the last year’s Emir cup finals. The stadium has one of the largest capacities of 50000 and will host key matches during the world cup. It will be connected through all the means of transport with unique geography and transit systems.
Education City Stadium
- Location: Doha
- Capacity: Approximately 40,000
- Will host: Quarterfinals
This stadium has been named after Education City and is also known as the Qatar Foundation Stadium to showcase a diamond in the city. it is the place where multiple local and foreign universities are located and thus will see a lot of student spectators here as well. same as other stadiums, this stadium’s 20000 seats will also be donated to developing countries to develop sports there and to showcase Qatar’s goodwill.
Read more about when it is completed the Education City Stadium
Ras Abu Aboud Stadium
- Location: Doha
- Capacity: Approximately 40,000
This spectacular stadium has been made from shipping containers, removable seats and other modular building blocks. It is located on the shores of the gulf looking at the skyline of Doha’s West Bay. This stadium will be dismantled after the tournament and will make way for a waterfront for local people to enjoy. The parts of the stadium will be used for different other purposes.
