World Cup 2022: Your guide to the eight stadiums in Qatar

The eight stadiums that will host the 2022 Qatar World Cup are primed and ready. They are eye-catching, to say the least.

One of the stadiums is made of shipping containers while another is intended to resemble traditional Middle Eastern headgear.

While they are striking in design, the eight venues – the fewest since the 16-team 1978 World Cup in Argentina – are a logistical relief for fans attending arguably the most controversial World Cup ever.

That is because the eight stadia are all within 21 miles of central Doha and will be linked by a metro and tram system, making it possible to watch more than one game in the same day.

Some grounds are powered by solar farms and equipped with cooling systems to battle the heat, while others have outdoor air-conditioning. And once the tournament is said and done days before Christmas, only one stadium will be called home to a football team: the Khalifia International Stadium. The others will be either dismantled completely (in the cast of Stadium 974) or reduced in capacity and repurposed as hotels, community spaces or smaller sporting facilities.

How many stadiums will host the event?

Eight stadiums will host the 32 teams from the opening game on November 20 to the final on December 18.

The tournament will kick off at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, while the finalists will head to Doha a month later to play at the Lusail Stadium.

Lusail Iconic Stadium

Capacity: 80,000

The Lusail Stadium in Doha (officially "Lusail Iconic Stadium") will be the centrepiece of the Qatar World Cup. It is the biggest stadium available and features cooling systems to help combat the local climate. The venue draws power from a solar farm outside the city. This is where the World Cup final will be played.

Construction began in 2017 and was finished in 2021, at an estimated cost of $767 million.

Group-stage fixtures
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia
Brazil vs Serbia
Argentina vs Mexico
Portugal vs Uruguay
Saudi Arabia vs Mexico
Cameroon vs Brazil

Al Bayt Stadium 

Capacity: 60,000

The Al Bayt Stadium will the opening game of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the opening ceremony. It is the second-largest stadium to be used and was designed to resemble the tents historically used by nomadic people in the Gulf region.

The stadium, which was opened on November 30, 2021 for the Fifa Arab Cup following seven years of construction, will host nine matches during the World Cup, including three knock-out fixtures.

Group-stage fixtures
Qatar vs Ecuador
Morocco vs Croatia
England vs USA
Spain vs Germany
Netherlands vs Qatar
Costa Rica vs Germany

Education City Stadium

Capacity: 45,320

Opened on June 15, 2020, the Education City Stadium is billed as one of the world’s most environmentally sustainable stadiums. It is surrounded by Qatar's educational institutes, which will continue to use the stadium after the tournament closes.

Group-stage fixtures
Denmark vs Tunisia
Uruguay vs South Korea
Poland vs Saudi Arabia
South Korea v Ghana
Tunisia vs France
South Korea vs Portugal

Stadium 974

Capacity: 40,000

Located on the shore around Doha's West Bay skyline, the name Stadium 974 is a reference to the number of shipping containers used in the stadium's construction and the country's international dialing code. Construction started in 2017 and was completed last year.

The stadium will be completely dismantled after the 2022 Qatar World Cup, its reusable elements intended for other construction projects, including possible reuse at a future tournament.

It is the first stadium used for a World Cup specifically designed to be taken down afterwards.

Group-stage fixtures
Mexico vs Poland
Portugal vs Ghana
France vs Denmark
Brazil vs Switzerland
Poland vs Argentina
Serbia vs Switzerland

Khalifia International Stadium

Capacity: 45,416

While the ground has undergone multiple renovations – most recently for the World Cup – the Khalifa International Stadium was built in 1976. The current version was launched on May 19, 2017 and is part of the Doha Sports City complex.

It is named after Qatar’s former Emir, Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, and has been the home stadium for the national team since its construction.

Group-stage fixtures
England vs Iran
Germany vs Japan
Netherlands vs Ecuador
Croatia vs Canada
Ecuador vs Senegal
Japan vs Spain

Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium

Capacity: 44,740

The Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan  took its design from the desert landscape around the ground and Qatar. It features several sand dune-esque structures after a redesign for the World Cup following its initial build completion in 2003.

Group-stage fixtures
USA vs Wales
Belgium vs Canada
Wales vs Iran
Japan vs Costa Rica
Wales vs England
Croatia vs Belgium

Al Thumama Stadium

Capacity: 40,000

Launched on October 22, 2021, the Al Thumama Stadium will be used up to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Qatari architect Ibrahim M Jaidah designed the ground with inspiration from the traditional Taqiyah headcap worn by men and boys in the Middle East.

Group-stage fixtures
Senegal vs Netherlands
Spain vs Costa Rica
Qatar vs Senegal
Belgium vs Morocco
Iran vs USA
Canada vs Morocco

Al Janoub Stadium

Capacity: 40,000

The stadium's design, by the British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, was inspired by the hulls of traditional pearl fishing boats, which are further reflected by the use of timber and traditional materials. The symmetrical roof, intended to look like sails, is the standout feature.

Group-stage fixtures

France vs Australia
Switzerland vs Cameroon
Tunisia vs Australia
Cameroon vs Serbia
Australia vs Denmark
Ghana vs Uruguay