FIFA World Cup 2022: The eight venues in Qatar that will host the matches

DOHA: With one month to go until the opening game, AFP Sport runs the rule over the eight stadiums which will host matches at this year's World Cup in Qatar: Qatar's biggest stadium will host the final on December 18 as well as, amongst other matches, the first semi-final. Built in Lusail, a planned city for a population of 200,000 people situated 15 kilometres north of central Doha, there are plans for the stadium to be transformed into a community hub after the World Cup, with most of its seats being removed and donated elsewhere. The venue for the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador on November 20, as well as the group-stage showdown between Spain and Germany and the second semi-final.

It is constructed in the form of a Bedouin tent although there are plans for the upper tier to be removed after the competition. Situated on Qatar's north-east coast, around 35 kilometres from Doha, it is therefore beyond the reach of the capital's metro system, making it one of the harder venues to access for supporters. Situated among university campuses in Al-Rayyan, just to the west of Doha itself, and reachable by metro, the stadium will notably host one of the quarter-finals.

Its capacity will be reduced by half after the tournament with plans for the seats to be donated to developing countries. The home of one of Qatar's most successful clubs, Al-Rayyan, the stadium has been built on the site of the old venue of the same name and is one metro stop beyond the nearby Education City. Located where the city meets the desert, its capacity will also be reduced by half after the tournament.