The Khalifa International Stadium in al-Rayyan was the first Qatar 2022 stadium to be completed. Along with al-Rayyan Stadium , it is one of two World Cup stadiums that did not have to be completely rebuilt. However, due to renovation from 2014 to 2017, the stadium was modernized and upgraded. In 2019, five FIFA Club World Cup matches were played at the Khalifa International Stadium.
The Khalifa International Stadium is located in al-Rayyan, the largest city in the small country, but it is not the largest stadium in the competition. The 2022 World Cup Lusail Stadium has a capacity of 80,000 spectators, while the Khalifa International Stadium has 45,416 spectators.
However, eight matches will take place in the first completed stadium of the 2022 World Cup. The next six group games and a second round of the 2022 World Cup are included, including the losers' final, so the game of place 3. The 2022 World Cup semi-finals , however, take place in Lusail City and al-Khaur.
Facts and figures about the Khalifa International Stadium.
- 🏟️ Capacity: 45,416 seats.
- 🏗️ Year of construction: 1976.
- 🎉 Opening: 2017 after renovation for the World Cup.
World Cup Games at the Khalifa International Stadium in al-Rayyan.
Khalifa International Stadium – Venue of the match for third place.
The Khalifa International Stadium is the most traditional stadium in Qatar. The original version of the arena was built in 1976 and then renovated several times. The last reopening after renovation took place in 2017, bringing this stadium up to date for the 2022 World Cup. It is the first World Cup venue to be ready for use five years before the start of the tournament. Unlike other stadiums, such as the 2022 World Cup Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, it will not be dismantled or dismantled.
Another special feature is that the Khalifa International Stadium is the first air-conditioned open-air stadium for a FIFA World Cup. To cope with the high temperatures in Qatar in the winter of 2022, it was decided to equip the stadiums with cooling technology. In the stands of the stadium, with 45,416 spectators, it should never be hotter than 26 degrees and every football match should be a sporting experience rather than a hot one.
In addition to the group games and the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup , one of these sports experiences will be the game for third place at the 2022 Winter World Cup in Qatar. “The losers final”, as it could be called, takes place in al-Rayyan at the Khalifa International Stadium and is one of the final games of the FIFA tournament.
Modern stadium with history.
Compared to the original version of the Khalifa International Stadium, the audience capacity has increased from 20,000 (1976) to 45,416 (since 2017). In 2014, the stadium even offered 50,000 seats. The roof was raised and two new arches were installed above the undulating tiered roofs. This means that the Khalifa International Stadium can be easily recognized from a distance.
In the past, al-Rayyan Stadium has hosted several major events. These include the Asian Games (2016), the Asian Football Championships (2011) and the World Championships in Athletics and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2019. The last two events have already been held in the modernized and expanded stadium and They were a complete success.
The stadium in Qatar will be cooled to between 24 and 28 degrees for the World Cup games using new cooling technologies. Due to the high outside temperatures in Qatar, heavy loads, such as for a World Cup, would be difficult without air conditioning. The energy for these air conditioning technologies should come primarily from renewable resources.
Air conditioning of the Khalifa International Stadium: ecologically acceptable?
Anyone who has seen the ventilation systems in the Khalifa International Stadium will understand that the stadium can also be described as the largest refrigerator in the world. However, if you think about the energy consumption for it, you will be able to sweat again immediately. Even if a large part of the energy must come from renewable energies, there is no guarantee of this, there is still a part that is not renewable.
In view of this, is it ecologically justifiable to build such a stadium or hold a tournament in a desert state? Opinions differ here. In any case, it is necessary to question more critically whether these investments and this energy consumption could have been avoided. Certainly there would have been other solutions. But then Qatar probably wouldn't have hosted the 2022 World Cup.
Source images: FIFA.
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