This is where England captain Harry Kane dreams of lifting the World Cup trophy aloft in December. Or, indeed, Gareth Bale for Wales and Andy Robertson for Scotland.
Today Mirror Online were allowed access to the stadium which will host the World Cup final. I was even able to sit in “Changing Room A” which one of the finalists will use. It's like a 5* hotel. But one with a a giant state of the art jacuzzi has been installed.
The players will be able to share it and it reminded me of those famous old baths at the old Wembley which the FA got rid of, for health reasons, decades ago.
The huge stadium sits in the middle of nowhere in the brand new city of Lusail - which has been built since Qatar won the tournament way back in 2010. From the outside it rises like a giant bathtub surrounded by huge car parks and dozens and dozens of cranes working on construction projects as far as the eye can see.
But once inside what an amazing stadium. The tunnel area is huge where both teams will wait before their respective national anthems. As well as the changing rooms there is a spacious area for managers, like Gareth Southgate, with their own private toilet facilities. Walking onto the pitch you could only imagine the roar of 80,000 fans at the final in nine months time.
The stadium in Lusail is about ten miles north of the capital Doha but it can be reached on the metro in less than half an hour. They have thought of everything. There are separate areas for the "Ball Kids Holding Room," "Mascot Dressing Room" and one for "Goal Line Storage." And there is even one called: “Awards Ceremony Waiting Room.”
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There are several prayer rooms and separate changing facilities for male and female match officials. The behind the scenes areas are huge. I took a lift up to the Very Very Important People (VVIP) lounges where the chairs and sofas are so luxurious they have to be seen to be believed. Already teams of ground staff are busy working on the pitch to make sure it is of the highest standard.
There are lights stretched across the grass to try and ensure it grows at exactly the right speed and temperature. Qatar Tourism Chief Operating Office Berthold Trenkel invited Mirror Online for coffee earlier today. He could barely contain his excitement as the tournaments gets ever closer after so many years of planning. He said: “All England fans are welcome and we can’t wait for the tournament to start.”
Wales and Scotland could also still make it if they win the play-off. But which ever countries make it to the final here on December 18th they will certainly be playing in one of the finest stadiums on the planet. One senior world cup organising committee executive said: “The other stadiums are amazing but this is the ‘jewel in the crown’ and is perfect to host a World Cup Final.”
