FIFA boss grace Lusail Stadium pilot

Article posted by Coliseum, August 15^th, 2022

Image: FIFA

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has attended the first-ever competitive match to be played at the Lusail Stadium, the venue at which the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ final will be contested on December 18^th.

‘FIFA’ stated that Lusail Stadium – the eighth and final FIFA World Cup™ stadium to host its first game – was completed in late 2021, and on August 11^th opened its gates to 20,000 fans to watch the Qatari sports club Al-Arabi SC’s 2-1 victory against the Qatari multisports club Al-Rayyan SC, in a Qatar Stars League fixture.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup™ is scheduled to be the 22^nd running of the FIFA World Cup™ competition, the quadrennial international men’s football championship contested by the senior national teams of the member- associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 20^th to December 18^th, 2022.

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The 86,250-capacity Lusail Iconic Stadium or Lusail Stadium is a football stadium in Lusail, Qatar. The stadium will host the final game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup™. The Lusail Stadium, owned by the Qatar Football Association, is the biggest stadium in Qatar and one of eight stadiums being converted for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™.

Zürich (Switzerland)-based FIFA is an international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was founded in 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The Qatar Stars League, or the QSL, also called QNB Stars League for sponsorship reasons, is the top level football league in the Qatar football league system. Contested by 12 teams, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Qatari Second Division. Seasons of the QSL usually run from September to April.

The stadium is situated 15 km North of Doha, in Lusail City. The fixture between the two local sides was organized as a first test event, before a full-capacity test event will take place on September 9^th.

‘FIFA’ further stated that the full-capacity test event will see the Saudi Pro League champions take on the winners of the Egyptian Premier League, which concludes on August 29^th, while the official inauguration will take place during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Since 2017, Qatar has inaugurated seven stadiums for the FIFA World Cup™ – six brand new arenas, while the 45,416-capacity Khalifa International Stadium in Doha received a complete renovation.

During the tournament, 10 FIFA World Cup™ games will take place at the Lusail Stadium – including the final on December 18^th. In addition to the showpiece event, the stunning stadium will also host six group stage games, and one game in each knockout round up to and including the final.

In line with FIFA’s commitment to delivering a Green tournament with a lasting legacy, sustainable building practices were implemented throughout the planning and construction of the Lusail Stadium.

Recycled water was used to irrigate plants around the stadium, while water-efficient fixtures and leak detection systems are operational. The construction site conserved 40 percent more fresh water than conventional stadium developments. The arena’s roof has been designed with sustainability in mind.

A state-of-the-art material called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) also protects the stadium from warm wind, keeps out dust and allows enough light for the pitch to grow while providing shade to reduce the burden on the stadium’s air conditioning.

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