Qatar 2022 World Cup: Tournament organisers unveil designs for Lusail Stadium

The Lusail Stadium will be located 15km north of central Doha

Qatar 2022 World Cup organisers have unveiled designs for the stadium where the tournament’s final will take place.

The 80,000-capacity Lusail Stadium will be the largest venue used during the tournament, which is the first to take place in the Arab world.

Situated 15km from Doha, the stadium will also host the opening game of the World Cup.

The Qatar World Cup is the first to be staged in winter and will kick off on 21 November 2022.

“It has now been eight years since we won the rights to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup and we told the world to expect amazing,” said Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary-general of Qatar’s supreme committee for delivery and legacy.

“With this stunning design of our showpiece stadium, I am proud today to once again be delivering on that promise.”

After the completion of the World Cup, the stadium will be transformed into a multi-purpose community hub.

“The new stadium is a nod to our past and a symbol of an exciting future,” Al Thawadi added. “On the very same land as the home of our nation’s founder, it sits at the heart of a brand new city.

“It’s a city for the future, and once the World Cup is over it will form a crucial part of the legacy of the tournament as it transforms to become the heart of a brand new community.”

Concerns have been raised about the treatment of migrant workers building new infrastructure in Qatar for the World Cup, with human rights organisations condemning labour practices.

Amnesty International said in September that dozens of migrants working on the city that will host the final had gone unpaid for months. – bbc.com