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 International Football Center of Rizhao located in Rizhao, China. Take a look at this candidacy and decide whether you want to vote for it in the contest for Stadium of the Year 2022!

International Football Center of Rizhao nominated for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Residents of China are proud of their new venue. The ultra-modern International Football Center of Rizhao 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 International Football Center of Rizhao

In 2018, Rizhao was awarded the right to host the 25th edition of the Shandong Provincial Games, to be held in 2022. In connection with this event, the city authorities took steps to improve the sports infrastructure. One of the investments planned at the time was the construction of a new, football-specific stadium to be the main arena for football competitions during these Games. The site for the new stadium was designated in the northern part of the city. The design was prepared by the British studio AFL Architects.

Construction of the facility began in spring 2020 and the facility was finally ready in April 2022, and the first test match was played on May 13, 2022. However, the real inauguration can be considered the opening ceremony of the football tournament, held as part of the 25th Shandong Provincial Games, which took place at the stadium on July 8, 2022. Here are some interesting facts about the arena: 

• The cost of the stadium is approximately 400 million yuan.
• The stadium has a football-specific layout and a capacity of 12,100 spectators.
• The imaginatively designed facade of the main stand is intended to evoke a sailboat, alluding to the city's coastal character. 
• On the other sides, the stands are clad in a light-coloured façade.

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: