The 64 matches of the 2022 World Cup will be played in eight stadiums, seven of which have been built for the event.
The 22nd edition of the World Cup will begin in a few days, in Qatar, with the opening match between the host country and Ecuador, Sunday, November 20. The match will take place in the Al Bayt stadium, in the city of Al Khor. The 60,000-seat enclosure was built especially for the competition, like six other stadiums, under conditions denounced by Amnesty International. Only the Khalifa International Stadium has been renovated. Discovery of these eight enclosures.
The Lusail stadium, which will host the final
Location: at 20 kilometers north of Doha.
Number of places: 80,000.
Inauguration: November 22, 2021.
Number of matches: 10, including the final on December 18.
Like all the enclosures built for this World Cup, the architecture of the Lusail stadium is inspired by aspects of daily life in the Arab-Muslim world. Here, patterns present on the bowls and vessels of the region. Part of the stadium will be dismantled and reused after the competition, in particular to build housing there.
Al Bayt Stadium, which will host the opening game
Location: in Al Khor, 50 kilometers north of Doha.
Number of places: 60,000.
Inauguration: November 30, 2021.
Number of matches: 9, including the opening match on November 20.
The architecture of Al Bayt Stadium is a direct reference to the Bedouin tents used in the region. The upper part of the stadium will be dismantled after the competition and recycled to create new sports infrastructures, in Qatar or abroad.
The newly renovated Khalifa International Stadium
Location: 10 kilometers west of Doha.
Number of places: 40,000.
Inauguration: in 1976.
Number of matches: 8, including the match for third place on December 17.
It is the oldest stadium in Qatar. The enclosure was renovated for the World Cup, but has already hosted other events since the end of the work, such as the World Athletics Championships in September-October 2019.
The Al Janoub stadium, where the Blues will play first
Location: in Al Wakrah, 22 kilometers south of Doha.
Number of places: 40,000.
Inauguration: May 16, 2019.
Number of matches: 7, including France-Australia on 22 November.
Al Janoub Stadium is located south of Doha, in the city of Al Wakrah, known for its maritime activities. In homage, the architecture is reminiscent of the sails of dhows, or dhows, traditional sailing ships used in the Persian Gulf. After the competition, the capacity of the stadium will be reduced to 20,000 seats and the excess seats stored abroad on other sports facilities.
The Education City stadium, where the Blues will play the 3rd group match
Location: in Al Rayyan, 7 kilometers northwest of Doha.
Number of places: 40,000.
Inauguration: in 2020.
Number of matches: 8, including France-Tunisia on November 30.
Like other World Cup venues, the capacity of the Education City stadium will also be halved after the competition. The silhouette of the stadium represents a diamond, meant to symbolize the wealth of the Doha University campus, where the Education City stadium is located.
The Al Thumama stadium, the most symbolic
Location: 12 kilometers south of Doha.
Number of places: 40,000.
Inauguration: October 21, 2021.
Number of matches: 8, including Senegal-Netherlands on November 21.
The architecture of the Al Thumama stadium is reminiscent of the keffiyeh, a headgear worn throughout the Arab world. After the World Cup, the upper part of the stadium should be dismantled and the stadium’s capacity reduced to 20,000 seats.
Stadium 974, the greenest
Location: 10 kilometers east of Doha.
Number of places: 40,000.
Inauguration: November 30, 2021.
Number of matches: 7, including France-Denmark on 26 November.
It will be the only non-air-conditioned stadium during this World Cup. Built entirely from 974 containers, like Qatar’s telephone code, the 974 stadium should be completely dismantled after the competition and delivered to another country for reuse.
The Ahmed Bin Ali stadium, the closest to the desert
Location: at Al Rayyan, at 20 kilometers west of Doha.
Number of places: 40,000.
Inauguration: December 18, 2020.
Number of matches: 7, including Croatia-Belgium on 1 December.
The architecture of the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium is supposed to recall the desert, located not far from the enclosure. At the end of the competition, the stadium will not be dismantled since it will be reused in the local championship by the club of Al Rayyan SC.