Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Sport
Asharq Al-Awsat

Qatar’s World Cup Final Stadium to Host First Match

Lusail stadium will host the World Cup final on December 18. (AFP)

The first official match at the Lusail stadium that is to host this year's World Cup final will be held next month, Qatar's national federation said Tuesday.

Al Rayyan and Al Arabi will dispute a Qatar Stars League game in the 80,000 capacity stadium on August 11.

Lusail is the biggest of the eight stadiums built or refurbished for the World Cup and will host the final on December 18.

A spokesperson for Qatar's World Cup organizers said the match would be a "test event" and that an official inauguration would be held later.

Lusail, whose futuristic design was inspired by the decoration on Arab bowls, will stage 10 World Cup matches in all, including several group matches, a quarter-final and semi-final as well as the final.

After the tournament, the capacity is expected to be halved and much of the stadium space turned into community space.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.