But for this reason, the country needs at least 8 to 12 ready stadiums and in this article, we are going to show you the stadiums that the Qataris have already prepaid for the World Cup.
The World Cup is the most awaited and prestigious tournament that most football fans love to watch and is also the most followed tournament in the World.
Qatar Stadiums that will Host the World Cup 2022
Khalifa International Stadium
The Khalifa international stadium was built in the year 1976 in Doha and this stadium due to its outstanding beauty, it is one of the venues chosen to host the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. This stadium will host the round of 16, quarter finals and semi finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
This stadium which is part of the Doha Sports city Complex, has already hosted many tournaments such as the Gulf Cup, Asian games and also the AFC Asian Cup.
The Khalifa International stadium is also known as National Stadium and was mostly used for soccer games before it was renovated in the year 2005. Since its renovation in the year 2005, some other competitions like track and field have also been held in the stadium as its capacity increased from 20,000 to 40,000 seats.
The Khalifa international stadium is the oldest stadium in Qatar and this stadium has also hosted 2 2019 FIFA Club World Cup matches. This stadium still underwent another renovation in the year 2017 and this made it emerge as a more modern and sophisticated stadium as compared to before the renovation.
Al Rayyan Stadium
This stadium is the home stadium to 2 Qatar sports clubs namely Al-Rayyan and Al-Kharitiyath, this stadium has a capacity of 21,282 which unfortunately is not enough for a FIFA World Cup match and so the stadium needs to be upgraded before it can be host to any World Cup game.
The upgrade of this stadium actually includes demolishing the old one and building a new Al-Rayyan stadium with a capacity of 44,740 seats, all shaded. The old stadium was demolished in the year 2014 with the ground and the basic ground preparation works for the new stadium also beginning that same year.
In the year 2015, the plan for the new stadium was proposed and it was confirmed in the late 2016 with work beginning that same year.
The Stadium is already more than 90% complete with stands in place and roof stabilization also finished. The seats have been put in place and works on the pitch has already started and so it is of no doubt now that this stadium will host the 2022 World Cup group stage matches.
This football stadium is located at North West of Doha about 20 kilometers from the City Center and this stadium also features as part of the development project that also includes Mall of Qatar.
Al Gharafa Stadium
Even though this stadium is a multipurpose stadium, it has still been used for numerous football matches. This stadium is the home stadium to the Al Gharafa SC and Umm Salal SC football clubs and it is located at the Al Gharafa district.
The Al gharafa is stadium is among the chosen stadiums that will host the World Cup group stage matches but before that, it capacity needs to be boosted from 25000 to 40000 in order to meet up with the World Cup standards.
This stadium was built in the year 2003 with an original capacity of 21,175 and it has so far hosted both international and intercontinental competitions such as the 2011 edition of AFC Asian Cup.
The Capacity of this stadium will temporarily be increased to 44,740 seats for it to host the 2022 World Cup matches by making use of a modular upper tier stand that will be removed after the tournament and the stadium will regain back it usual capacity of 25,000 seats.
Al-Shamal Stadium
The Al-Shamal stadium is one of the stadiums that was built for the purpose of the 2022 World Cup in 2022 and this stadiums consists of 2 tiers, one permanent lower tier with a capacity of 25,500 seats and another modular upper tier with a capacity of 19620 seats thereby making a total of 45,120 seats and also making the stadium to be eligible to host World Cup matches.
The shape of this stadium drawn its inspiration from a kind of traditional fishing boat used in Persian Gulf called Dhow and the stadium from a distant look, it looks like a Dhow on the edge of the shore.
The works on the construction has already been achieved and the stadium was even open by the summer of the year 2020. The main purpose of this stadium was for it to host the World Cup 2022 and as planned, the stadium will host the group matches of the World Cup 2022.
Al- Janoub Stadium
The AL-Janoub stadium is among the most sophisticated stadiums in Qatar, having a postmodern design that was built just of recent in the year 2019. This stadium has a total capacity 40000 seats and so the stadium will be host to the 2022 World Cup group and round of 16 matches.
The Al Janoub stadium was formerly known as Al-Wakrah stadium and it is located at the heart of an urban extension in Al-Wakrah thereby making it impossible for community based activities to take place in and around the stadium on non events day.
Doha Port Stadium
Ras Abu Aboud Stadium simply known as Doha Port Stadium is one of the stadiums that will host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the stadium is built mainly for this purpose and also the stadium is planned to be dismantled after the World Cup with seats being sent to developing countries in need of them.
This stadium has a capacity of 45,000 seats, the stadium will seat on an artificial promontory thereby providing visitors with a beautiful seafront landscape view.
The Doha Port Stadium is built from recycled material and also having a quite simple and understanding cooling system, constant pouring of water on the facility's roof and facade. One amazing fact too with this stadium is that fans will be able to reach the stadium on water taxis as you can see on the picture above. This stadium will be host to the 2022 World Cup Group matches , round of 16 and quarter finals.
Umm Salal Stadium
This stadium is located near the historical site, Umm Salal Muhammad Fort and imspired by the kinds of the same fort design. Umm Sala Stadium is another beautiful stadium that will host the 2022 World Cup matches.
This stadium is planned to have a total capacity of 45,000 seats but after the World Cup, it will be reduced to 25000 seats and it will serve as the home stadium of the Umm Salal football club.
The Umm Sala stadium will host the group matches, round of 16 matches and quarter final matches of the 2022 World Cup.
Sports City Stadium
This is the only stadium in this list that will keep its capacity of 49,000 seats even after the 2022 World Cup and this simply means that no part of the stadium will be dismantled after the World Cup tournament.
This stadium will include a water park, a mall and a sports museum among other cultural and recreational structures that have raised its construction cost to $1.6 billion. The Sports City stadium will be an eco friendly stadium with its power supply coming from solar cells on its roof and no Carbon emissions.
This sports City stadium also has an advanced cooling system that is capable of pumping cool air into each row of seats and then filter the air again as it descends form the seats. This stadium will host the group matches and also the third place play offs of 2022 World Cup.
Education City Stadium
Even though the Education City was planned to be finished and open in 2019, the work on its contruction was nit finished in the same year reason why the stadium did not host club World Cup 2019. But now according to the FIFA, the stadium is now finished and ready for 2022 World Cup.
This stadium is eligible to host a World Cup game as it has a capacity of 45,000 seats and so will host the group and round of 16 matches of the World Cup in Qatar.
After the 2022 World Cup is over, the Education city stadium will be used as an attraction for the local community with its 3 pavilions for Swimming, indoor sports and track and field competitions.
Al Bayt Stadium
The Al Bayt stadium features as a retractable roof that can open and close in 20 minutes, supplying the insides of the stadium with optimal temperature and enabling it to host matches throughout the year. The overall capacity of this stadium is 60000 seats and 1000 of them is for press.
After the World Cup, the stadium is going to be dismantled and turn into a recreational venue for the local community.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many stadiums in Qatar for World Cup 2022? Among all these stadiums, 8 will be selected to host the World Cup 2022.
2. Where is the next World Cup ? The next world Cup will play in 2022 and will be held in Qatar