The proximity of the fields allows you to attend all the matches played every day
The World Cup in Qatar is not only characterized by the fact that it is the first to be held in the middle of the season. Another characteristic feature of the tournament, the first in the Middle East, is that the five cities where the matches take place are a stone’s throw away. A fan will be able to see all the duels of the day. The longest distance is the 65 kilometers separating Al Wakrah from Al Khor (40 kilometers in a straight line).
Of course, with Doha as the nerve center and three locations, the longest route will be 46 kilometers and the shortest only seven. Six of the eight stadiums in which the matches will take place were built especially for this event and designed by prestigious architects such as Zaha Hadid.
On the sand and with the traditional black and white stripes, as if it were a Bedouin tent, the Al Bait Stadium rises on the outskirts of Al Khor and is the venue for the opening match of the World Cup, with a Qatar-Ecuador match playing on November 20 at 5:00 PM (Spanish time). It has a total capacity of 61,000 seats, of which 1,000 are reserved for the press.
In addition to that opening match, eight other matches will take place, including a semi-final.
The Al Janoub Stadium, conceived by Zaha Hadid, will make its debut at the World Cup on November 22 with the match between France and Australia (8 p.m. in Spain). It is located in one of the oldest inhabited areas of the country, just over 20 kilometers from Doha and its design resembles the sails of the ‘dhows’, a traditional boat of Arabic origin and low draft that has been used mainly as a freighter.
It has 40,000 seats – which will be reduced by half after the World Cup – and a retractable roof and will host six group stage matches and one round of 16 matches.
Built at the gateway to the desert and connected to the city of Rayyan by a high-speed rail line, more than 80% of the material used to build the stadium came from the original building, which was demolished in 2015. the waves that frame it to the sand dunes and in the geometric patterns that surround it to the native flora and fauna.
It houses a shopping center and has a capacity of 60,000 spectators. The first game will be played on November 21 between the US and Wales at 8:00 PM (in Spain). A total of six matches from the group stage and one from the eighth finals will be played there.
The fully circular design is inspired by the ‘gahfiya’, a traditional knitted hat worn by men in Arab countries, which was built in 2015.
The first game it will organize is a Senegal-Holland, on November 21 at 5:00 PM (Spanish time). A total of six group stage matches will be played on the Al Thumama green, one in the eighth finals and one in the quarter finals.
The Education City Stadium, whose shape resembles that of an irregular diamond, was completed in 2020 and is integrated into the Qatar Foundation university campus. It covers an area of 140,000 square meters and has room for 40,000 spectators, which will be 20,000 after the World Cup.
The teams from Denmark and Tunisia (group D) will open the stadium at the World Cup on November 22 (2 p.m. in Spain). There are six group stage matches in total, one in the round of 16 and one in the quarter-finals.
England and Iran (Group B) will be the teams responsible for the opening of the World Cup race on the 21st (2pm in Spain) at the refurbished Khalifa International Stadium, renovated in 2017 and adding 12,000 new seats, to 40,000. The characteristic arches, which run from goal to goal throughout the pitch, are still present, although they now have a canopy that improves the cooling system.
Six matches of the group stage, round of 16 and third and fourth places will be played indoors.
The Lusail Stadium, the largest in Qatar, can hold about 80,000 spectators, and its design resembles that of traditional Arab bowls. In fact, the gold color will fade over time, just like typical aged metal crafts. In addition, it has a material called ‘PTFE’, which protects it from the hot wind and prevents the entry of dust, but also provides a lot of light and shade.
It was inaugurated in September this year and will debut at the World Cup on November 22 with the Group C match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia. In total there are six matches in the group stage, round of 16, quarter-finals, a semi-final and the final.
It has 974 containers, which give it its name, and it is the only one located on the coast of Doha. Designed by Fenwick Iribarren Architects, a Spanish studio, it was built using shipping containers and modular steel elements, recalling the industrial and maritime history of the area. When the world is over, it is disassembled and can be reassembled in another location. Even if another building.
It starts on the 22nd with Mexico-Poland in Group C and hosts six group stage matches and one round of 16 matches.
A total of 6,000 million euros has been invested in the eight stadiums. In a country where the temperature nowadays exceeds 30 degrees, one of the big claims of the stadiums is their air conditioning, in addition to sustainability. However, the major innovations in this sense go hand in hand with the restrictions imposed on women and with the fact that homosexuality carries a prison sentence of up to seven years. And ‘The Guardian’ points out that between 2010 and 2020 about 6,500 workers would have died building the fences.
Source: La Verdad
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