The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is unique for many reasons . First of all, it is the first time that the FIFA World Cup will be held in the Arabian Peninsula . Also, Qatar will be the first Muslim and Arab country to host the FIFA world cup .
This FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup will be held in the months of November and December. This contrasts with the normal lodging hours during the months of May, June and July. Another key difference is the fact that the tournament will be noticeably shorter, being condensed into 28 days with the final scheduled for December 18, 2022.
The change of season from summer to winter is due to Qatar’s sultry weather. With highs of 41°C in the summer.
The FIFA world cup Qatar 2022 will also be the last tournament in which 32 teams will participate. Heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there will be a total of 48 teams competing.
THE STADIUMS
As with all FIFA World Cups, the hosts, Qatar, will play host to multiple state-of-the-art stadiums. Many of which have been specifically designed for the FIFA world cup Qatar 2022!
There will be eight stadiums in total with capacities between 40,000 and 80,000. Seven of these stadiums have been or are being built especially for the tournament. The other stadium underwent an extensive renovation to ensure it is ready to host 40,000 international football fans.
1. AL KHALIFA INTERNATIONAL
Built in the capital Doha in 1976, it has been completely renovated and remodeled. The stadium reopened in 2017 and has hosted several sporting events since its opening. One of the main elements of the new technology that was incorporated into this stadium was its refrigeration technology . This is to help keep both fans and players cool who may not be used to Qatar’s hot weather .
The capacity of Al-Khalifa International is 40,000 and is earmarked for the semi-final games of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
2. AL JANUB
Al-Janoub is located near the coast in the city of Al-Wakrah . The capacity of this stadium is also 40,000 with the intention of hosting the semi-finals of the FIFA world cup. Al-Janoub was built especially for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and opened last year, making it the first newly built stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The architect of this stadium is the Iraqi Zaha Hadid . He said his designs were inspired by the nature of coastal shipping, maritime trade, and fishing.
3. EDUCATIONAL CITY
Also housed in the city of Doha , the capital of Qatar, the Education City will be used to host matches from the 2022 FIFA World Cup through to the quarter-finals.
With capacity to accommodate 40,000 . One of the best things about this stadium is that after the world cup is over, Qatar will donate 20,000 Education Cities seats to developing countries.
There were plans in 2020 to showcase this stadium by hosting an international tournament with Portugal, Croatia, Switzerland and Belgium . However, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, these had to be postponed.
4. AL BAYT
The Qatar world cup has created many exciting opportunities for the locals and the stadiums are a great example of this. Al-Bayt Stadium is the world’s first Arab-designed stadium. The shape of the stadium is said to represent the traditional ‘House of Pottery’. In addition, it is the second largest stadium and has a capacity of 60,000 spectators.
The stadium itself is designed to have a retractable roof, and like the Education City Stadium, parts of the Al-Bayt Stadium will be dismantled after the tournament and donated to developing countries.
5. AL-RAYYAN
Al-Rayyan Stadium is special to Qatar as it is named after a much-loved football club in Qatar. The stadium is built in the city of Al-Rayyan. Also, the new stadium has been built on the site of the club’s old stadium, Ahmed Bin Ali. With a capacity of 40,000 seats, it will be a stadium that many locals will love.
The architecture of the stadium is inspired by the beautiful and wild sand dunes located in western Qatar.
6. LUSAIL
Located in the city of Lusail, it is the largest of the eight stadiums. With an incredible 80,000 seat capacity, Lusail is the stadium that will be used for the opening match and more importantly the venue for the Qatar 2022 FIFA world cup final!
Like the other 8 stadiums, it will also be used throughout the tournament to host different matches prior to the final. The structure, like many of the other stadiums, has been inspired by Arabic motifs and culture.
7. RAS ABU ABBOUD
Located in the capital city, Doha, the Ras Abu Abboud Stadium has been specially designed so that parts of the stadium can be easily dismantled after the tournament. Once these sections are dismantled, they will be used for sports and non-sports projects.
With a capacity for 40,000 spectators, the stadium is another example of architecture that is inspired by its surroundings. With the shape of this stadium inspired by the Gahfiya. This is the traditional headdress worn by men in Middle Eastern countries.
In addition, it will host a clinic of the Aspetar Hospital for sports medicine and orthopedics. This clinic will not only serve players during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. It will continue to serve athletes from all over the world as part of the care that Aspetar offers to athletes from all over the world.
8. AL-THUMAMA
With a capacity of 40,000 spectators, the Al-Thumama Stadium will host the matches prior to the quarterfinals. The stadium received the MIPIM/Architectural Review Future Project Award for Best Design in the Sports and Stadiums category in May 2018.
A point to highlight are the green spaces of the stadium that extend over 50,000 square meters.
