The venues for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are getting ready just as the qualification process for the showpiece event reaches its last stages and the draw is made on Friday.
This will be the first World Cup to be held in the Mena region, and a chance for organisers to showcase.
The venues for the World Cup finals have attracted a lot of attention, none more than the 974 Stadium.
The Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, as it is officially known, has a capacity of 40,000 and its most salient feature is that it is a 'pop-up' stadium built out of shipping containers on Doha's waterfront and will be dismantled after the World Cup.
The number 974 is significant as it the international dialling code for Qatar and also the number of containers used for the stadium's construction.
The venue also has removable seats and other modular ‘building blocks’. According to Fifa, local organisers plan to renovate the site of the stadium into a waterfront development for the local community.
Earlier, the Lusail Stadium was unveiled to the public. It is main venue for the 2022 World Cup, with a 80,000-capacity, and will host the final on December 18.
Organisers plan to take its legacy beyond the region by removing and donating most of the stadium's 80,000 seats to sporting projects across the world.
The tournament will be held from November 21 to December 18 in eight venues. The other stadiums are the Al Thumama Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Education City Stadium, and the Al Janoub Stadium.
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Stadium 974 in Doha that will host matches at the 2022 Fifa World Cup. It has a capacity of 40,000. AFP -
The Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar. Capacity: 40,000. AFP -
The Khalifa International Stadium. AFP -
The Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan. Capacity: 45,000. AFP -
The Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan. AFP -
The Lusail Stadium is around 20 km north of Doha. Capacity: 80,000. AFP -
The Lusail Stadium in Qatar. AFP -
The Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. Capacity: 60,000. AFP -
The Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah. Capacity: 40,000. AFP -
The Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar. AFP -
The Al Thumama Stadium in Doha. Capacity: 40,000. AFP -
The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan. Capacity: 44,000. AFP -
The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. AFP
