Qatar will officially open the Lusail Stadium, the largest of the eight stadiums of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and host the final venue on December 18, hosting the Lusail Super Cup match between Zamalek, champions of Egypt, and Al-Hilal, champions of Saudi Arabia. .

Lusail Stadium, equipped with cooling systems, is the latest of seven newly built stadiums to be opened by the gas-rich Gulf state about two and a half months before the start of the first World Cup in the Middle East.

On August 11, the test match of the second round of the Qatari League between Al Arabi and Al Rayyan took place at the stadium, which can accommodate eighty thousand spectators.

The match between Zamalek and Al-Hilal, which will be preceded by a concert by Egyptian artist Amr Diab, will be a real rehearsal for hosting the World Cup, given the large fan base of the two teams, knowing that Saudi fans will be the first to run the stadium during the World Cup when the Green Falcons will play Argentina with Lionel Messi on 22 November.

Qatar will reopen the old Doha airport to relieve pressure on the main Hamad airport, which is undergoing expansion to increase its capacity to 58 million passengers a year.

The huge stadium in the modern city also hosts Brazil-Serbia, Argentina-Mexico, Portugal-Uruguay, Saudi Arabia-Mexico and Cameroon-Brazil group stage matches, as well as the round of 16 match, quarter-final. final, semi-final and final to be the most hosted with Ten games.

64 World Cup matches will be played in eight stadiums, seven of which are new: Lusail, Al-Beit, Ahmed Bin Ali, 974, Al-Tumama, Al-Janoub and Action City , in addition to the development of the Khalifa International Stadium. and I have tested them in various tournaments such as the Club World Cup, Arab Cup and local competitions.

Qatar will host the World Cup starting November 20, on the eve of winter, due to high temperatures in the summer, in the closest variant in the modern history of the tournament, as does the longest distance between two World Cup stadiums. no more than 75 km.

More than a million people are expected to visit the country of 2.8 million people.

Qatari organizers have spent billions of dollars preparing for the event since winning the right to host the tournament in 2010, but their massive preparations have been accompanied by a campaign to criticize Qatar for its human rights record of foreign workers and its treatment of gays. community. But FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Qatar will host the “best” World Cup “in history”.

– flashlight –

And the Lusail Stadium, which is 16 km north of the center of the capital Doha, was inspired by the play of light and shadow that characterizes the traditional Arabic phanar or fanous. Its structure and façade also reflect the intricate inscriptions on bowls and utensils, as well as other pieces of art that were found throughout the Arab and Islamic world during the rise of civilization in the region.

It has been designed and built with a range of sustainable practices in mind, including a roof made from an advanced material that helps provide protection from hot wind and dust, as well as allowing enough sunlight to enter for grass to grow on the field while providing shade that contributes to reducing the stadium’s dependence on air-cooled technology.

Hassan Al Tawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Development and Heritage, the body responsible for implementing the infrastructure projects for the World Cup, said: when hosting the final match on December 18, which coincides with our State National Day celebration.

Project manager Tamim Al Abed told AFP that “the stadium’s capacity ranges from 85,000 to 86,000 spectators, including 80,000 insured who have a completely unobstructed view of the playing field, in addition to some 15,000 employees, workers and media representatives. crews.”

According to the organizers, Lusail Stadium, which can be reached by metro to the station 600 meters from the security gate, will turn into a public place: “schools, shops, cafes, sports facilities and clinics.”

– fanbase –

The choice fell on the champions of Egypt and Saudi Arabia to officially open the stadium, test its readiness and modernize operations under pressure at full capacity, identify shortcomings and weaknesses in order to avoid them in the future.

Al Hilal claimed the Saudi League title for the third time in a row and the eighteenth in its history after a fierce competition with Al Ittihad Jeddah until the last round.

The Asian champion started his title defense campaign four times, most recently last season, with three straight wins, the latest against Al Fateh, which saw the return of his international defender Yasser Al. -Shahrani, from a muscle injury.

The Riyadh side were hoping for midfielder Muhammad Kanno, who was suspended for four months from official matches by the Dispute Resolution Chamber, after signing two contracts with Al-Hilal and Al-Nasr. The recovery process continues with Argentine coach Ramon Diaz, South Korean midfielder Jang Hyun-soo and international striker Saleh.

As for Zamalek, the five-time African champion, having lost to his ten-title rival Al-Ahly, retained his title in the Egyptian League, crowning it for the 14th time in its history, overtaking the Pyramids and Al- Ahli.”

The white team is counting on their international midfielder Ahmed Syed “Zizu”, whose contract was recently extended by three years, and veteran Mahmoud Abdel Razek “Chikabala”.

The match will be presided over by Qatari referee Abdul Rahman Al Jassim, one of the Arab referees present at the 2022 World Cup, along with Algerian Mustafa Ghorbal and Emirati Muhammad Abdullah Hassan.