The FIFA World Cup 2022 took place in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, 2022. The whole event was special for many reasons. To start with, it was the first time that a Middle Eastern country hosted this kind of football tournament.
Qatar invested billions of dollars in preparations. The main focus was set on stadiums. The country designated ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2022, all of which are located within a 55-km radius of Doha, Qatar’s capital city. Let’s see what has made those stadiums so special.

What Are the Hosting Stadiums?

Considering the specificity of the local climate, Qatar decided to make the football venues as comfortable as possible. All stadiums were equipped with a state-of-the-art climate control system to manage the internal temperature. Well, there are even more features to surprise you with.

Al Bayt Stadium

Capacity: 60,000
The stadium was opened in 2021 under the design of Dar Al-Handasah. It has some resemblance to a tent used by nomadic people in the Qatar and Gulf region. Being one of the biggest facilities, it won’t find many implementations following the World Cup. This is why the modular upper tier will be taken away and seats will be used for different purposes. The area will be changed into a five-star hotel with a shopping center, food court, gym, and other facilities.

Lusail Stadium

Capacity: 80,000
Being the biggest facility of the tournament, it was designed by architects Foster + Partners and Populous. The light and shadow of a “fanart” lantern, facade panels, and steel frames have some resemblance with regional artistic bowls. The stadium was opened in 2022 along with the start of the championship. The seating bowl consists of three tiers. The PTFE roof lets in light to let the grass field grow naturally. Now the venue can serve as the space for affordable housing units, shops, food outlets, health clinics, and even educational facilities.

Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium

Capacity: 40,000
Ramboll and Pattern Design designed the venue that was opened in 2020. Around 90% of the construction materials were reused or recycled from the old stadium. Upon the final match of the World Cup, trees will be moved to other locations on the property and 20,000 seats will be used for other sporting events.

Al Janoub Stadium

Capacity: 40,000
Qatar’s seafaring past served as the inspiration for the design of the given stadium. A retractable roof allows the further use of the stadium around the year. This can be done for local football games and even amateur football events. But the stadium will most likely get smaller by 20,000 seats following the World Cup.

Al Thumama Stadium

Capacity: 40,000
The stadium was designed with the motives of a gahfiya, the traditional woven cap worn by men across the Middle East. The architect Ibrahim M. Jaidah managed to make nod to local culture and use modern technology simultaneously. Now that the World Cup is over, 20,000 seats are going to be taken away. A boutique hotel located on the stadium’s upper stands will give a great view of the soccer field.

Education City Stadium

Capacity: 40,000
The concept of the venue was designed by Fenwick-Iribarren Architects and Pattern Design. Triangles in the form of a diamond-like geometrical pattern seem to change color with the sun’s movement across the sky. At night, the stadium demonstrates a digital light show, which doesn’t leave the audience indifferent.

Khalifa International Stadium

Capacity: 40,000
The stadium saw the world in 1976. It had to go through certain modifications for the World Cup. The stadium’s dual arches were maintained to keep the proper functionality of the cooling system. A new tier of seats increased the overall capacity to 40,000 seats.

Stadium 974

Capacity: 40,000
Consisting of 974 shipping containers and modular steel, this stadium is going to be removed just after the final match of the World Cup. Constructed by Fenwick-Iribarren Architects as a tribute to Qatar’s history, the standard shipping containers served as a platform for everything from concessions to stairs. Additional materials required for the venue were delivered in containers which are then used in the venue.

Qatar seems to prove itself as the record-breaker. The cost of the FIFA World Cup 2022 is not going to be exceeded in the nearest decades. With the stadiums becoming the main gem of the whole event, Qatar will be remembered for professionalism. These iconic stadiums have welcomed millions of football fans over the course of the month-long global sporting action. What is the future of these stadiums? We’ll be following the news.