Stadium 974 – tournament stadium description

How was Stadium 974 built?

Site preparation for the stadium began in autumn 2017, and the actual construction started two years later. After a further two years, the facility was operational and the first matches took place there at the end of 2021, as part of the Arab Nations Cup being played in Qatar. The stadium was planned as temporary and is due to be demolished after the World Cup.

What are the characteristics of Stadium 974?

One of the most striking aspects of the stadium is the use of recycled shipping containers as one of the construction materials. The multi-coloured containers make the stadium look, from a distance, as if it were made of giant toy blocks. The container motif is omnipresent in the arena's interiors, and some of them have been adapted into premises such as changing rooms for the players.

The shipping containers refer to Doha's port traditions. Exactly 974 of them were used in the construction of the stadium, a number which is not coincidental, as it is the area code for Qatar, and it was even decided to include it in the name of the stadium (before its opening, however, the venue was known as Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, after the name of the area in which it is located). A large number of steel elements and prefabricated components were also used in the construction of the venue. The choice of materials allowed costs to be significantly reduced.

The stadium pitch is surrounded by even, two-tier stands, divided by a strip of boxes. The first rows are above playing ground level and the seats in the stands are blue. The capacity of the stadium is 44 089 spectators. LED screens have been placed in two of the corners. The auditorium is largely covered, with only the first level behind both goals not under roof, although the original plans called for these parts of the stands to be covered as well.

As the only venue at the Qatar World Cup, Stadium 974 was not equipped with a cooling system. The lack of ventilation is to be compensated for by the airy structure and close proximity to the bay, so that the stadium is naturally cooled by the wind. Besides, the World Cup will be held in the autumn, when the temperature is bearable, and after the tournament the facility will cease to exist, so installing a system would be an unnecessary whim.

The stadium is located close to the centre of Doha and also near Hamad International Airport. The venue is accessible by metro.

How will Stadium 974 be used?

It is the first ever stadium built for the World Cup as a temporary arena, to be completely demolished after the tournament. After the championships, the area where the stadium is located is to be transformed into a green field area and elements of the facility are to be used to build other structures.

One interesting proposal for the use of the venue after the tournament is to move it to Uruguay, where it would become the arena for the 2030 World Cup, should the country be awarded the right to co-host the event (Uruguay intends to run along with Argentina, Paraguay and Chile).

During the championships, the venue will host six group stage matches and one round of 16 game.

What matches will take place at Stadium 974 during the 2022 World Cup?

How Stadium 974 compares to other World Cup 2022 venues?