Soccer-World Cup 2022 Qatar stadiums: guide to Doha venues for FIFA tournament

Following is the list of stadiums which will host the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar. Eight stadiums in Doha will host 64 matches at the World Cup and the unique nature of the tournament, which is being held in one location, allows fans to attend more than one game a day, with the venues a maximum of one hour's drive from each other.

LUSAIL STADIUM Capacity: 80,000

Location: 15km north of central Doha Lusail Stadium is the largest venue for the tournament and will host the World Cup final on Dec. 18.

It is accessible by a metro line (Lusail QNB Metro Station, red line) and will host matches in all rounds of the competition. Matches:

Nov. 22: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Nov. 24: Brazil vs Serbia

Nov. 26: Argentina vs Mexico Nov. 28: Portugal vs Uruguay

Nov. 30: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico Dec. 2: Cameroon vs Brazil

Dec. 6: Last-16 game Dec. 9: Quarter-final

Dec. 13: First semi-final Dec. 18: Final

AL BAYT STADIUM Capacity: 60,000

Location: 40km north of Doha Named and designed after the tents used by nomads in the Gulf, the Al Bayt Stadium is the farthest venue from central Doha but also one of the biggest and has a retractable roof.

Al Bayt Stadium will host the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador. The hosts say that after the World Cup, its upper tier of modular seating will be removed and given to developing countries.

Matches: Nov. 20: Qatar v Ecuador

Nov. 23: Morocco v Croatia Nov. 25: England v United States

Nov. 27: Spain v Germany Nov. 29: Netherlands v Qatar

Dec. 1: Costa Rica v Germany Dec. 4: Last-16 game

Dec. 10: Quarter-final Dec. 14: Second semi-final

EDUCATION CITY STADIUM Capacity: 40,000

Location: Doha Inaugurated in 2020, the venue has already hosted the Club World Cup where Bayern Munich won the title in February 2021.

The venue is a stone's throw away from the metro line (Education City Station, Green Line) and will be in use until the quarter-finals. Matches:

Nov. 22: Denmark v Tunisia Nov. 24: Uruguay v South Korea

Nov. 26: Poland v Saudi Arabia Nov. 28: South Korea v Ghana

Nov. 30: Tunisia v France Dec. 2: South Korea v Portugal

Dec. 6: Last-16 game Dec. 9: Quarter-final

STADIUM 974 Capacity: 40,000

Location: 5km from the airport This temporary stadium is situated near the seafront corniche and is uniquely designed with 974 shipping containers (the number is also the international dialling code of Qatar).

The stadium is located near the Ras Bu Abboud Metro Station (Gold line). Matches:

Nov. 22: Mexico v Poland Nov. 24: Portugal v Ghana

Nov. 26: France v Denmark Nov. 28: Brazil v Switzerland

Nov. 30: Poland v Argentina Dec. 2: Serbia v Switzerland

Dec. 5: Last-16 game KHALIFIA INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

Capacity: 40,000 Location: 11km from central Doha

The oldest stadium on Doha, the Khalifia International Stadium was built in 1976 for the Asian Games and has since been renovated and reopened in 2017. It has hosted the FIFA Club World Cup and the 2011 Asian Cup, with the final being played in front of over 37,000 fans.

The venue is situated near the Sports City Metro station (Gold line) and will host the match for third place. Matches:

Nov. 21: England v Iran Nov. 23: Germany v Japan

Nov. 25: Netherlands v Ecuador Nov. 27: Croatia v Canada

Nov. 29: Ecuador v Senegal Dec. 1: Japan v Spain

Dec. 3: Last-16 game Dec. 17: Third-place game

AHMAD BIN ALI STADIUM Capacity: 40,000

Location: Al Rayyan, 20km west of Doha Inaugurated in December 2020, it hosted the final of the Amir Cup - Qatar's domestic cup - and Club World Cup games.

Nearly half of the seats will be dismantled and given to football projects outside Qatar. The venue is located near the Al Riffa Metro Station (Green line).

Matches: Nov. 21: United States v Wales

Nov. 23: Belgium v Canada Nov. 25: Wales v Iran

Nov. 27: Japan v Costa Rica Nov. 29: Wales v England

Dec. 1: Croatia v Belgium Dec. 3: Last-16 game

AL THUMAMA STADIUM Capacity: 40,000

Location: 10km south of Doha, 15-minute drive from Hamad International Airport. The circular design of the stadium is inspired by the 'gahfiya' -- the traditional woven cap worn by boys and men in the Middle East.

This stadium's capacity will also be reduced to 20,000 after the World Cup. Matches:

Nov. 21: Senegal v Netherlands Nov. 23: Spain v Costa Rica

Nov. 25: Qatar v Senegal Nov. 27: Belgium v Morocco

Nov. 29: Iran v United States Dec. 1: Canada v Morocco

Dec. 4: Last-16 game Dec. 10: Quarter-final

AL JANOUB STADIUM Capacity: 40,000

Location: Al Wakrah, 30 minutes from central Doha The stadium design takes inspiration from the 'dhow' pearl fishing boats and has a roof that looks like sails. It was inaugurated in 2019, hosting the Amir Cup final.

The stadium's capacity will be reduced to 20,000 after the World Cup with the seats to be donated to projects overseas. Matches:

Nov. 22: France v Australia Nov. 24: Switzerland v Cameroon

Nov. 26: Tunisia v Australia Nov. 28: Cameroon v Serbia

Nov. 30: Australia v Denmark Dec. 2: Ghana v Uruguay

Dec. 5: Last-16 game (Compiled by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)