The World Cup 2022 in Qatar is about five months away. All 32 teams who will fight it out for the biggest prize in football have also been finalised, with Costa Rica clinching the last spot after defeating 10-man New Zealand 1-0 in their intercontinental play-off. The focus of the teams and their supporters is now on the main tournament, with the venues the centre of attention in what will be the first World Cup in the Middle East. Each venue in the country has a unique tale behind it. Like the 974 Stadium. The Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, as it is officially known, has a capacity of 40,000 and is basically a ‘pop-up’ stadium built out of shipping containers on Doha’s waterfront.
The Al Thumama Stadium continues the trend of innovation. The 40,000-capacity stadium has been designed keeping tradition in mind. The stadium resembles a gahfiya, which is the cap worn underneath a ghutra. With heat always a concern in the region, every seat has air conditioning vents below it throughout the stadium, which is a salient feature at all venues at the World Cup.
The 80,000-capacity Losail Stadium is the main venue for the World Cup and will host the final on December 18. The other locations for the showpiece event are the Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Education City Stadium, and the Al Janoub Stadium. With the World Cup now approaching very fast, preparations have already continued to take place in the host country as they look to make the tournament a very smooth one.
Players and head coaches, as well as fans have all been waiting for the World Cup patiently and once it finally kicks off in December, it is expected to attract the attention of millions of people all around the world.
