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Just months to kickoff at the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup
Just months to go and the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be here with us.
Is everything set? Are the stadiums ready? And if so, how can they be accessed by both the home fans and the visiting fans?
First and foremost, football fans traveling to Qatar must have a Hayya Card. The fan ID will also enable the fans to move from stadium to stadium on match days and access free transport around the stadia.
The host nation has made various accommodations to ensure fans enjoy the matches and one key consideration in stadium design was temperature control. Due to high temperatures, stadiums and training facilities have been fitted with solar-powered cooling technology to maintain favorable temperatures.
READ: New offside technology to be used at Qatar World Cup
Here is what you need to know about all the eight venues that will host this year's FIFA World Cup matches.
1. Lusail Stadium
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The 80,000-capacity stadium is located about 20 kilometres away from Doha City and will host the opening fixture and the final. Other key matches to be played at this venue include four other Group matches aside from the opening match, one round of 16 match, one quarter-final and one semi-final match.
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Its bowl-shaped architectural design is said to have been inspired by the form of various art pieces found in Arab nations.
2. Al Bayt Stadium
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The 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium is located about 40 kilometres north of Doha City. It is divided into three tiers, with the top tier only operationalised for the World Cup, it will afterward be removed to revert the stadium to 32,000 capacity.
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The stadium derives its name from bayt al sha’ar which refers to tents. The retractable stadium roof is also one of the intrigues of the facility.
Al Bayt will host five group matches, one round of 16 match, one quarter-final and one semi-final.
3. Education City Stadium
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It is situated right inside the Qatar Foundation, in the city of Doha. The arena takes the shape of a diamond and will become the home of national women’s team after the world cup.
The stadium will host five group matches, one round of 16 match and one quarter-final match.
4. Al Thumama Stadium
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Al Thumama is the first World Cup venue on our list that was designed by a Qatari architect. The design was inspired by the ‘gahfiya’, which is a woven cap worn by men across the Middle East.
The venue will host five group matches, one round of 16 match and a quarter-final.
5. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
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Formerly known as the Al-Rayyan Stadium, the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium is set to host seven World Cup matches.
6. Khalifa International Stadium
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Khalifa International Stadium is Qatar's national stadium and has a capacity of 45,416 seats.
7. Stadium 974
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This arena has a capacity of 40,000 seats and its name comes from the 974 shipping containers used in building the stadium, which allows it to be dismantled easily after the tournament. It is scheduled to host seven matches.
8. Al Janoub Stadium
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It is formerly known as the Al Wakrah Stadium and was inspired by the sails of the dhow boats traditional to the country of Qatar in a nod to the coastal city’s maritime heritage.
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