FIFA World Cup 2022: In a landmark achievement, Qatar is all set to host West Asia's first-ever football World Cup in November 2022. It has some World class stadiums and eight would witness some of the biggest teams and players clash against each other to lift the ultimate football glory. One such venue on the list is Stadium 974. A stadium made of brilliance and one that walks in hand with the environment and sustainability.
What is Stadium 974?
Stadium 974 is a venue made from 974 shipping containers, which were made from recycled content. An existing structure was demolished to make this venue. The demolished structure provided 70,000 tonnes of steel and the venue uses 80% of that material. The containers are placed on the edges of the stadium.
The stadium will also have the capacity of hosting 40,000 people in a match. Once the tournament gets over, the stadium can be fully dismantled and re-purposed in the future. It is the first temporary venue in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
When was the stadium inaugurated?
The stadium was inaugurated on 30th November 2021. It hosted matches from the Arab Cup 2021. Other than the group stage matches, the stadium hosted the semi-finals and the 3rd place match.
How many matches will the venue host in FIFA World Cup 2022?
The Stadium will host a total of 7 World Cup games. The first one will be in between Mexico and Poland on November 23. It will also be the host of one of the rounds of 16 encounters.
Accolades to the historic Stadium
The Stadium has been honoured with a big accolade. A 31st August report from Qatar News Agency states that the Stadium has received a five-star rating under the Global Sustainability Assessment System and a category A* construction management grading.
The honours were presented to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), which has been tasked to host the quadrennial event. Ghanim Al-Kuwari, deputy director general of the body said that Sustainability was the reason to build this stadium.
"Sustainability has been the primary focal point with Stadium 974. To receive top GSAS certification marks from GORD is further confirmation of our efforts to establish new, sustainable concepts of stadium design and construction that we hope will be adopted worldwide," Kuwari said.
A total of 32 teams will play in the FIFA World Cup 2022 which will be kicked off on November 20 and the final will be played on 18th December.
