World Cup 2022 host cities & stadiums
By Sean Walsh
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is slowly creeping up on us with kick-off in November almost upon us.
With the novelty of the tournament being held in a country without much footballing history, it means even the most die-hard fan may not be aware of the cities and stadiums.
So here's the lowdown of the regions and venues that will play host to the 2022 World Cup...
*Kick-off times listed as GMT
1. Al Janoub Stadium
City: Al Wakrah
Capacity: 40,000
Games hosted:
22 November - 19:00 - France vs Australia - Group D - BBC
24 November - 10:00 - Switzerland vs Cameroon - Group G - ITV
26 November - 10:00 - Tunisia vs Australia - Group D - BBC
28 November - 10:00 - Cameroon vs Serbia - Group G - ITV
30 November - 15:00 - Australia vs Denmark - Group D - BBC
2 December - 16:00 - Ghana vs Uruguay - Group H - BBC
5 December - 15:00 - Winners Group E vs Runners-up Group F
One of Qatar's various home arenas, the Al Janoub Stadium hosted the 2020 AFC Champions League final and sees a fair share of club football as the home of Al-Wakrah SC.
The wavy designs (literally) of the seating are inspired by the region's traditional Dhow boats which are used by pearl divers in the Persian Gulf.
2. Khalifa International Stadium
City: Al Rayyan
Capacity: 40,000
Games hosted:
21 November - 13:00 - England vs Iran - Group B - BBC
23 November - 13:00 - Germany vs Japan - Group E - ITV
25 November - 16:00 - Netherlands vs Ecuador - Group A - ITV
27 November - 16:00 - Croatia vs Canada - Group F - BBC
29 November - 15:00 - Ecuador vs Senegal - Group A - ITV
1 December - 19:00 - Japan vs Spain - Group E - ITV
3 December - 15:00 - Winners Group A vs Runners-up Group B
17 December - 15:00 - Losers Match 61 vs Losers Match 62
Look familiar, Liverpool fans? This is where you beat Flamengo in the final of 2019 Club World Cup.
While seats can be added to boost the capacity for events, it's still unclear whether the stadium will house more than 40,000 fans for the tournament
3. Stadium 974
Last visit to Stadium 974, for #FIFAArabCup 3rd place match between #Egypt & #Qatar both having lost to late goals in the semi finals, it’s #QatarNationalDay2021 today, a big crowd expected. Commentary ? around ??, @keatings on the final later #Tunisa v #Algeria pic.twitter.com/YFgG4nW8tE
— John Roder (@johnrodercomm) December 18, 2021
City: Doha
Capacity: 40,000
Games hosted:
22 November - 16:00 - Mexico vs Poland - Group C - BBC
24 November - 16:00 - Portugal vs Ghana - Group H - ITV
26 November - 16:00 - France vs Denmark - Group D - ITV
28 November - 16:00 - Brazil vs Switzerland - Group G - ITV
30 November - 19:00 - Poland vs Argentina - Group C - BBC
2 December - 19:00 - Serbia vs Switzerland - Group G - ITV
5 December - 19:00 - Winners Group G vs Runners-up Group H
Stadium 974 may sound like a planet from the Star Wars franchise, but it's one of the eight host stadiums for the 2022 World Cup. Who'd have thought?
From the outside, Stadium 974 looks more like a docking bay. Or the stadium from Call of Duty: Warzone. Hey, at least there's layers of character about this ground.
4. Al Thumama Stadium
City: Doha
Capacity: 40,000
Games hosted:
21 November - 10:00 - Senegal vs Netherlands - Group A - ITV
23 November - 16:00 - Spain vs Costa Rica - Group E - ITV
25 November - 13:00 - Qatar vs Senegal - Group A - BBC
27 November - 13:00 - Belgium vs Morocco - Group F - BBC
29 November - 19:00 - Iran v USA - Group B - BBC
1 December - 16:00 - Canada vs Morocco - Group F - BBC
4 December - 15:00 - Winners Group D vs Runners-up Group C
10 December - 15:00 - Winners Match 55 vs Winners Match 56
One of the tournament's four stadiums situated in Doha, the design of the Al Thumama Stadium is based on the traditional Middle Eastern taqiyah hat.
Half of the stadium's seats will be donated to other countries at the conclusion of the World Cup.
5. Ahmad bin Ali Stadium
City: Al Rayyan
Capacity: 44,740
Games hosted:
21 November - 19:00 - USA vs Wales - Group B - ITV
23 November - 19:00 - Belgium vs Canada - Group F - BBC
25 November - 10:00 - Wales vs Iran - Group B - BBC
27 November - 10:00 - Japan vs Costa Rica - Group E - ITV
29 November - 19:00 - Wales vs England - Group B - BBC
1 December - 16:00 - Croatia vs Belgium - Group F - BBC
3 December - 19:00 - Winners Group C vs Runners-up Group D
Al Rayyan's original Ahmad bin Ali Stadium was built in 2003, but apparently that wasn't up to scratch and was demolished in 2015.
90% of the rubble from that old stadium went into building the new one or to public art projects.
6. Education City Stadium
City: Al Rayyan
Capacity: 45,350
Games hosted:
22 November - 13:00 - Denmark vs Tunisia - Group D - ITV
24 November - 13:00 - Uruguay vs South Korea - Group H - BBC
26 November - 13:00 - Poland vs Saudi Arabia - Group C - ITV
28 November - 13:00 - South Korea vs Ghana - Group H - BBC
30 November - 15:00 - Tunisia vs France - Group D - BBC
2 December - 16:00 - South Korea vs Portugal - Group H - BBC
6 December - 15:00 - Winners Group F vs Runners-up Group E
9 December - 15:00 - Winners Match 53 vs Winners Match 54
Education City is merely the name of a development within the city of Al Rayyan, but now also plays host to a World Cup calibre stadium - which has been nicknamed the 'diamond in the desert'.
7. Al Bayt Stadium
City: Al Khor
Capacity: 60,000
Games hosted:
21 November - 16:00 - Qatar vs Ecuador - Group A - BBC
23 November - 10:00 - Morocco vs Croatia - Group F - ITV
25 November - 19:00 - England vs USA - Group B - ITV
27 November - 19:00 - Spain vs Germany - Group E - BBC
29 November - 15:00 - Netherlands vs Qatar - Group A - ITV
1 December - 19:00 - Costa Rica vs Germany - Group E - ITV
4 December - 19:00 - Winners Group B vs Runners-up Group A
10 December - 19:00 - Winners Match 51 vs Winners Match 52
14 December - 19:00 - Winners Match 59 vs Winners Match 60
If you were lucky enough to book a hotel room at Al Bayt Stadium, then you'll be able to enjoy a balcony view of the pitch.
At the end of the World Cup, the stadium will be downscaled by nearly half the capacity, the hotel expanded, a shopping mall opened and another sport facility built.
8. Lusail Iconic Stadium
City: Lusail
Capacity: 80,000
Games hosted:
22 November - 10:00 - Argentina vs Saudi Arabia - Group C - ITV
24 November - 19:00 - Brazil vs Serbia - Group G - BBC
26 November - 19:00 - Argentina vs Mexico - Group C - ITV
28 November - 19:00 - Portugal vs Uruguay - Group H - ITV
30 November - 19:00 - Saudi Arabia vs Mexico - Group C - BBC
2 December - 19:00 - Cameroon vs Brazil - Group G - ITV
6 December - 19:00 - Winners Group H vs Runners-up Group G
9 December - 19:00 - Winners Match 49 vs Winners Match 50
13 December - 19:00 - Winners Match 57 vs Winners Match 58
18 December - 15:00 - Winners Match 61 vs Winners Match 62
With under a year to go until the final, an official game is still yet to be played at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Like many of the other stadiums on this list, Lusail Iconic Stadium will undergo a severe reduction in capacity at the conclusion of the World Cup.