Al-Janoub Stadium, formerly also known as al-Wakrah Stadium, is one of eight stadiums in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar . The arena, which is located in the port city of al-Wakra (also al-Wakrah) south of the state capital Doha, seats around 40,000 spectators and was completely rebuilt as part of the World Cup award. World to Qatar. Consequently, it is an ultra-modern and well-equipped stadium.

Al-Janoub Stadium will host six group stage matches and one World Cup round of 16 at the final tournament in Qatar. The first game in the arena will take place on November 22, 2022 at 7 am Argentina time, the round of 16 will take place on December 5 at 4 pm.

Data and facts about al-Janoub Stadium.

• 🏟️ Capacity : 40,000 seats.
• 🏗️ Start of construction : 2014.
• 🎉 Inauguration : May 16, 2019.
• 👷🏽 Architects : Zaha Hadid, AECOM.

World Cup 2022 matches at al-Janoub Stadium.

Al-Janoub Stadium enchants with its futuristic design.

After FIFA awarded Qatar the 2022 World Cup in December 2010, the construction of al-Janoub Stadium began in May 2014. Five years later, the stadium was officially opened on May 16, 2019 with the final of the Qatar Emir Cup between al-Duhail and al-Sadd in front of approximately 39,000 spectators.

After the renovation works at the  Khalifa International Stadium , which were completed in 2017, al-Janoub Stadium is the second stadium completed for the 2022 World Cup.

If you look at al-Janoub Stadium from the outside, its design is probably the most striking and futuristic of the eight stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Seen from above, the sand looks like a monumental shell or a huge dune. The design is based on the traditional dhow boats that were once used by residents for pearl fishing.
Lockable roof with integrated cooling system

Al-Janoub Stadium is well equipped and was designed with a sustainable ulterior motive. It has a lockable roof to provide plenty of shade or to shelter from the rain. Furthermore, the stadium has an integrated cooling system, which creates a pleasant climate in the stadium and ensures that the stadium can be used throughout the year.

After the 2022 World Cup Final , al-Janoub Stadium will be reduced to 20,000 seats with seats no longer needed being donated to football development projects. Also, al-Wakrah SC, which plays in the main Qatar Stars League, will play its home games at the arena. Then there will be many other facilities around the stadium, such as sports halls, tennis courts, a school, restaurants, shops, parks and a 4-star hotel.

Criticism of al-Janoub Stadium.

The new construction of the magnificent al-Janoub Stadium also brought with it many points of criticism. On the one hand, there remains the question of how sustainable it is to build a stadium especially for the 2022 World Cup and then dismantle it again. On the other hand, human rights organizations such as Amnesty International repeatedly raised claims that construction workers had to work in undignified conditions.

In fact, there are numerous reports online that guest workers had to work in stadiums in extremely high temperatures for starvation wages. Some even died during construction work.

As futuristic as the al-Janoub Stadium design may seem, Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, who died in 2016, had to put up with a lot of criticism of the project, such as: "Your design looks like a gigantic vulva in the desert." If you take a look at the finished arena from above, this accusation cannot be completely denied.

2022 World Cup venue al-Wakra under review.

Al-Wakra, sometimes also called al-Wakrah, is located about 18 kilometers southeast of the center of Doha, the capital of Qatar. The port city, which is located in the community of the same name, al-Wakra, was founded in 1828, making it one of the oldest cities in the country.

The main city has around 141,000 inhabitants. In history, al-Wakra was best known for its fishing port and trade in natural pearls.

Sites of interest in al-Wakra.

Due to the fact that al-Wakra is right on the Persian Gulf, a visit to the sea is as good as a must for guests. The two public beaches in the city are called Al Wakrah Souq Beach and Al Wakrah Family Beach and they have a wonderful sandy beach with crystal clear water.

Source images: FIFA.