Another Milestone Checked At World Cup Venue Lusail Stadium

Over one year before it hosts its first matches, the turf for Lusail Iconic Stadium's all-important pitch has been laid. According to the Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy, Qatar's official body responsible for the development, the venue is now undergoing the finishing touches to prepare for completion. Of Qatar's eight FIFA 2022 World Cup stadiums, Lusail is the final venue to be concluded before the starting whistle sounds in 2022.

Lusail Iconic Stadium

Lusail Stadium, a mammoth 80,000 seat venue, is located in the heart of the ultramodern city of Lusail, 16km north of central Doha. Lusail City, with its futuristic architecture, innovative technologies and sustainable solutions, aims to enhance the well-being and quality of life of all who live, work and play there, now and into the future. Lusail Stadium, with its state-of-the-art architecture and engineering, high-tech user services and sustainable design, is a perfect fit for a city of the future.

The stadium is the biggest venue constructed for the 2022 games and will play host to a plethora of fans from across the globe during ten tournament matches. In particular, the stadium will host an unquestionably spectacular closing ceremony and final on December 18th 2022. 

Construction began in 2017 alongside Lusail City (also being built from scratch) and is due for completion this year. The futuristic stadium will host visitors in a modern environment, sustainably built, operated and managed to ensure their comfort and safety. Visitors will also be treated to a host of smart technology. Football fans will be able to use mobile ticketing services, connect with other fans in the stadium, take holographic selfies with the players, get closer to the game with online match information and live translation in any language, all using mobile applications and technology exclusively designed for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, despite the venue's modernity, Lusail Stadium has been designed with a strong nod to the past. Emulating a fusion of traditional Arabian crafts, the stadium construction rises from the ground into a gently curving, classic regional handmade bowl-shaped design, whose aged-gold metallic panels catch the sun and play with the light. During the evening, intricate patterns carved into the facade create openings through which a warm light glows, like the traditional 'fanar' (lantern) used across the region. The stadium, accessible by a modern transport network, including road, Metro and light rail, will delight all who arrive at its doors.

A Measure of Success

With five of the eight FIFA 2022 World Cup stadiums completed to date, the sixth and seventh venues ready for inauguration later this year, and the final stadium nearing completion, Qatar will undoubtedly be proud of the achievements the nation has realised in the last decade. From winning their bid for the 2022 tournament to designing the first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup in history; from building and redeveloping eight new stadiums, their surrounding precincts and training venues to constructing a new airport, Metro system, highways, a myriad of accommodation options and tourist attractions, all linked to the World Cup experience. Qatar set themselves a mammoth task, and it is one that they have delivered with aplomb, despite a blockade imposed by neighbouring countries and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic along the way. With the completion of the final World Cup stadium on the horizon, Qatar is as good as ready for the 2022 tournament. In the not too distant future, they will be able to sit back, relax and marvel at their achievements so far.