Lusail Stadium[3] (Arabic: استاد لوسيل,[4] ALA-LC: Istād Lūsayl) is a football stadium in Lusail, Qatar. Owned by the Qatar Football Association,[5] it is the largest stadium in Qatar and the Middle East by capacity; one of eight stadiums built for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup final game between Argentina and France on 18 December 2022. It is currently the second largest football stadium in Asia but eventually will reduce its current capacity of 88,966 to 40,000 in the near future.[6][7][8]

Lusail Stadium
استاد لوسيل (Arabic)
Aerial view of the stadium in 2022
Map
LocationLusail, Qatar
Coordinates25°25′15.1″N 51°29′25.4″E / 25.420861°N 51.490389°E / 25.420861; 51.490389
Public transit Lusail (لوسيل)
Capacity
Record attendance88,966 (Argentina vs Mexico, 26 November 2022,
Argentina vs Croatia, 13 December 2022, and
Argentina vs France, 18 December 2022)
Construction
Broke ground11 April 2017; 7 years ago (2017-04-11)
Built2017–2021
Opened21 November 2021; 2 years ago (2021-11-21)
ArchitectFoster + Partners, Populous
General contractorHBK Contracting, China Railway Construction Corporation[2]
Tenants
Qatar national football team (2022–present)

The stadium is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Doha, in the city of Lusail.[9] Lusail Stadium was inaugurated on 9 September 2022 with the Lusail Super Cup game.[10]

Construction

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Lusail Stadium under construction in 2020

The Procurement process for the stadium conversion began in 2014.[11] The stadium was built as a joint venture by HBK Contracting and the China Railway Construction Corporation.[12][13]

Like the other stadiums planned for the 2022 World Cup, the Lusail Stadium is cooled using solar power and is claimed to have zero carbon footprint.[14][15]

Construction began on 11 April 2017.[16] Completion of the stadium was originally scheduled for 2020. It was then to host three friendly matches until the 2022 World Cup,[17] but as the completion of the stadium was postponed, it is subsequently hosting 10 games including the final.[18]

Following the World Cup, it is expected to be reconfigured into a 40,000-seat stadium.[19] Excess seating will be removed and other parts of the building repurposed as a community space with shops, cafés, athletic and education facilities, and a health clinic.[20]

Like other stadiums constructed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Lusail Stadium received a five-star rating on 16 August 2022 for its design and construction from the GSAS.[21]

A 2021 investigation by The Guardian revealed that over 6,500 migrant workers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka died between 2010 and 2020 during construction of World Cup venues in Qatar.[22] The figures used by The Guardian did not include occupation or place of work so deaths could not be definitively associated with the World Cup construction programme. Commenting on the investigation, Construction News recalled.[23]

Sports

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Lusail Super Cup

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On 9 September 2022, the Lusail Stadium hosted the Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup, a tournament that served as a rehearsal for the World Cup finals, held between the two teams of Al Hilal, the 2021–22 Saudi Arabian champion, and Zamalek, the 2021–22 Egyptian champion, in front of 77,575 fans. The two sides played out 1–1 draw, with Al Hilal triumphing 4–1 after a penalty shootout.[24]

2022 FIFA World Cup

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The Lusail Stadium hosted ten matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, including the final.

 
The stadium before the Portugal vs Uruguay match
 
A rendering of Lusail Stadium and its surroundings
Date Local time Team No. 1 Result Team No. 2 Round Attendance
22 November 2022 13:00   Argentina 1–2   Saudi Arabia Group C 88,012
24 November 2022 22:00   Brazil 2–0   Serbia Group G 88,103
26 November 2022 22:00   Argentina 2–0   Mexico Group C 88,966
28 November 2022 22:00   Portugal 2–0   Uruguay Group H 88,668
30 November 2022 22:00   Saudi Arabia 1–2   Mexico Group C 84,985
2 December 2022 22:00   Cameroon 1–0   Brazil Group G 85,986
6 December 2022 22:00   Portugal 6–1    Switzerland Round of 16 83,268
9 December 2022 22:00   Netherlands 2–2 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p)   Argentina Quarter-finals 88,235
13 December 2022 22:00   Argentina 3–0   Croatia Semi-finals 88,966
18 December 2022 18:00   Argentina 3–3 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p)   France Final 88,966

2023 AFC Asian Cup

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The Lusail Stadium hosted the opening match and the final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[25]

Date Local time Team No. 1 Result Team No. 2 Round Attendance
12 January 2024 19:00   Qatar 3–0   Lebanon Group A 82,490
10 February 2024 18:00   Jordan 1–3   Qatar Final 86,492

2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup

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The Lusail Stadium is scheduled to host the final of the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup.[26]

Date Local time Team No. 1 Result Team No. 2 Round Attendance
18 December 2024 21:00   Real Madrid TBA Final

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Lusail Stadium | Qatar 2022". qatar2022.qa.
  2. ^ "Qatar 2022: Lusail Stadium contractor selected". StadiumDB. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  3. ^ "Lusail Stadium".
  4. ^ "استاد لوسيل".
  5. ^ "Lusail Iconic Stadium World Cup 2022: Qatar World Cup Stadium". fifaworldcupnews.com. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Lusail Stadium". stadiumguide.com. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Chinese company and HBK JV to build Lusail stadium". constructionweekonline.com. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  8. ^ Jones, Charles (17 December 2022). "How many fans are at the World Cup final? Lusail Stadium capacity explained". HITC.
  9. ^ "Lusail Stadium". qatar2022.qa. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Photos: Lusail Super Cup tests stadium hosting World Cup final". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Flagship Lusail stadium next on Qatar's list". constructionweekonline.com. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Chinese company and HBK JV to build Lusail stadium". constructionweekonline.com. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Chinese firm in JV to build Lusail Stadium in Qata". meconstructionnews.com. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Qatar's Lusail Iconic Stadium for Solar World Cup Stadium". Architecture-view.com. 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  15. ^ Hahn, Jennifer (1 June 2022). "Qatar World Cup's claim of carbon neutrality is "simply not credible" says report". Dezeen. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  16. ^ "Work starts on Qatar World Cup final stadium at Lusail". thepeninsulaqatar.com. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Qatar: Lusail Stadium will be ready by 2020". thehindu.com. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Foster + Partners designs golden stadium for Qatar World Cup final". dezeen.com. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  19. ^ "2022 FIFA World Cup: Qatar unveils design for Lusail stadium". goal.com. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Foster + Partners unveils Lusail Iconic stadium for 2022 FIFA World Cup". Archpaper.com. 27 December 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  21. ^ "Lusail Stadium earns five-star sustainability rating". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Revealed: 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since World Cup awarded". The Guardian.com. 23 February 2021.
  23. ^ Garner-Purkis, Zak (23 February 2021). "Qatar migrant death rate revealed: 'more than 6,500 workers die since World Cup win'". Construction News. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Lusail Stadium, 2022 World Cup final venue, hosts Lusail Super Cup after a glittering ceremony | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  25. ^ "#AsianCup2023 adds world-class Lusail Stadium to elevate fan experience". the-afc. Asian Football Confederation. 21 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  26. ^ "FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024™ stadiums revealed". FIFA.com. 13 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
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Events and tenants
Preceded by FIFA World Cup
Final venue

2022
Succeeded by
Preceded by AFC Asian Cup
Opening match venue

2023
Succeeded by
TBD
Preceded by AFC Asian Cup
Final venue

2023
Succeeded by
TBD