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 Suez Canal Authority Stadium located in Ismailia, Egypt. Take a look at this candidacy and decide whether you want to vote for it in the contest for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Suez Canal Authority Stadium nominated for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Football fans in Egypt last year were able to celebrate inauguration of a new state-of-the-art venue. The ultra-modern Suez Canal Authority 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, 8 from Europe, 4 from Africa, 3 from North America, 2 from South America and 1 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 Suez Canal Authority Stadium

At the beginning of 2019, demolition of the old Suez Canal Stadium began in Ismailia. The existing 10,000-seater was to be replaced by a brand new, larger arena. The new venue is a major part of the expansion of the sports complex owned by the SCA. Even before construction of the stadium began, development of an indoor arena and a hockey stadium had begun around the site. Along with the stadium, other facilities were built around it: small multipurpose fields, car parks, helipads, and a mosque. Finally, the venue, along with the entire complex, was inaugurated with a ceremony on September 8, 2022, on the occasion of the visit of Egyptian President Abd al-Fattah as-Sisi.

The stadium has a football and athletics layout and features a blue tartan running track with eight lanes. Surrounding the track are stands, divided into four separate segments, two along the pitch and two in the arches. The main stand with boxes (including the exclusive presidential box equipped with bulletproof glass), VIP seats and back facilities is located on the west side. It is the only one with a canopy that covers the upper part of the auditorium. The stand on the opposite side is slightly lower than the others. Here are some interesting facts about the arena:

• The venue cost 500 million Egyptian pound ($26 million).
• The capacity of the auditorium is 21 000 spectators. 
• The stands are equipped with plastic seats with backs, arranged in a mosaic of white, light blue and dark blue.
• The facility meets high standards, in line with the requirements of the national football federation, CAF and FIFA. It can host matches of international rank.

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: