ZAYED SPORTS CITY STADIUM (ABU DHABI)
Opened: 1980
Capacity: 43,000
2017 Club World Cup matches: Both quarter-finals, one semi-final, third-place play-off, final
Having hosted major sporting events for more than 30 years, Zayed Sports City Stadium is lauded as one of the Middle East’s best-known venues. It sits at the heart of the Zayed Sports City sports complex, boasting an athletics track and several facilities that have been recently refurbished. The stadium lies to Abu Dhabi’s southeast, 20 minutes from the city centre and close to the main motorway linking the capital to Dubai. Has staged the 2003 Fifa Under 20 World Cup, international matches and the 2009 and 2010 Club World Cups.
HAZZA BIN ZAYED STADIUM (AL AIN)
Opened: 2014
Capacity: 25,000
2017 Club World Cup matches: Opening match, fifth-place play-off, one semi-final
Having taken only 17 months to build, the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium has become one of the region’s most recognisable football grounds. Its facade, comprising an LED shell, can be illuminated in several colours at night, including the purple of home side Al Ain, or the red, green, white and black of the UAE flag. The stadium boasts excellent transport links, situated close to the motorway that connects Abu Dhabi with Dubai. Hosted the second leg of the 2016 Asian Champions League final and and a selection of the UAE’s 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
