Our Stadium of the Year competition has officially begun and will run until March 15. As many as 36 venues are on the list of nominees this year. One of them is Lusail Stadium located in Lusail City, Qatar. Take a look at this candidacy and decide whether you want to vote for it in the contest for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Lusail Stadium nominated for Stadium of the Year 2022!

We all still remember vividly the just-concluded World Cup in Qatar. In addition to the football experience, our attention was also drawn to the outstanding architecture of the local stadiums. The largest venue of the tournament that staged the final, the ultra-modern Lusail Stadium, made it to the list of 36 football arenas nominated for the prestigious Stadium of the Year 2022 award. The competition is the largest public vote of its kind in the world. Since the first edition began, a total of more than 400,000 valid votes have been counted.

This year’s contest is highly varied, with stadiums from as many as six different continents taking part: 18 venues are from Asia, eight from Europe, four from Africa, three from North America, two from South America and one from Australia and Oceania. The competition is fierce, so don't hesitate to cast a vote for the stadium you appreciate the most! If you’re still unsure, you can watch a video covering all 36 nominated stadiums:

Get to know Lusail Stadium

The facility was built in Lusail, a new futuristic city under construction north of Doha and essentially a distant suburb of it. Preparatory work began back in 2015 and actual construction began in spring 2017. The final concept for the stadium was kept secret for a long time and was only presented to the wider public in late 2018, when work was already at an advanced stage. The facility was practically ready at the end of 2021, but the first matches were played there in the summer of 2022.

The high stands, divided into only two tiers, can accommodate 88,966 spectators, making the venue one of the largest in the Middle East. The architectural concept created by Foster + Partners and Manica Architecture is based on traditional local motifs. Here are some interesting facts about the arena: 

• Lusail Stadium cost $767 million.
• The building's form is reminiscent of a traditional bowl.
• The triangular patterns on the façade were inspired by lamps formerly used in Qatar.
• The auditorium is covered by a vast 45,000 m2 membrane roof.
• It hosted 10 World Cup matches, watched from the stands by almost a million people.

After the tournament, the upper level of the stands will be dismantled and the capacity will be reduced to 40,000 spectators. The venue will be partially transformed into a public facility, housing schools, cafés, shops, clinics, etc.

How to vote for the Stadium of the Year 2022?

In order to take part, everyone has to select five stadiums by giving 5 stars to the best one, 4 stars to the second best, 3 stars to the third, 2 stars for the fourth and finally 1 star for the fifth most interesting. It means that you cannot cast your vote for only one stadium - all 5 venues must be included in your form. To vote visit Stadium of the Year 2022, the voting platform which will be open until March 15. To learn more about the nominated stadiums and the voting rules themselves, it is recommended to watch the video: