After initially not being part of the roster, Lusail Stadium, which hosted the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, has been added to the list of venues hosting the 2023 Asian Cup.

The upcoming Asian Cup, which will take place from January 12 to February 10, 2024, will be played at the 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium, as announced by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the local organising committee. Host and current champion Qatar will play against Lebanon in the opening match, the kick-off time of which has been moved to 7pm local time. The final will take place on February 10 at 18:00 local time.

© Palácio do Planalto

When the venues for the Asian Cup were announced in April, Lusail Stadium abbsence was a surprise. After all the arena hosted 10 World Cup matches. Al Janoub Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium and Khalifa International Stadium, which also hosted World Cup fixtures, were among the eight stadiums initially selected.

Stadium 974, a World Cup venue that was a temporary one, purpose-built for the tournament, was ruled out. The Asian Cup will also be held at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium and Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. None of the original eight venues will make way for Lusail Stadium, which the AFC has added to the line-up of venues as of late. Although the dates have been pushed back to early 2024 to avoid the heat of the Gulf summer, the competition will still be officially known as the 2023 Asian Cup.

China relinquished the rights to host the Asian Cup in May 2022 due to ongoing difficulties in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Qatar has since taken its place. The last tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates.

Discover the arenas of the 2023 Asian Cup by taking a look at one of the videos from our YouTube channel: