Lusail, Qatar 86, 250 Capacity Being built for the highly debated 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Lusail Iconic Stadium is the planned venue for both the opening and final games of the tournament. Planned to be the biggest stadium of the tournament by a massive 36,000 it will also be yet another incredible testament to clean energy in football. The stadium will be cooled by solar power and have a zero carbon footprint. Perhaps the most ingenious feature of the stadium is that it will be surrounded by a moat that match attendees will cross via six bridges, or that the saddle form roof appears to float above the seating bowl, when in fact it is supported by a ring of arching columns or the fact that the centre of the roof can be pulled back to allow the pitch to be open to the elements or covered. There are a lot of amazing features planned for the Lusail Iconic Stadium, but the benefits to the surrounding area are just another bonus of this soon to be footballing landmark. The parking and service areas around the ground will be shaded by the large solar collectors which will not only provide energy for the stadium itself, but also generate power for neighbouring buildings. Alas, as with everything related to the 2022 World Cup so far, there is one big point that is hard to overlook about the Lusail Iconic Stadium. It will be a beacon of world football at some point in 2022 (since we still don't know when the tournament will be played) but it won't last. In 2011 it was announced that following the conclusion of the tournament, the stadium will be reconfigured into a 20,000 seater stadium for use by the Qatar national football team. Its this post World Cup idea that while attempting to spare it the inevitable fate of becoming a white elephant, still makes the whole concept seem somewhat pointless. Nevertheless, the world will be treated to one of the greatest stadiums ever designed as the venue for the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, even if it is not meant to last. Despite Qatar eventually ruining their own good work after the World Cup, the footballing world is indeed going to be treated to some incredible new stadiums in the coming few years.
A graduate in Sports Journalism from the University of Central Lancashire with a love of all things film, football and American football. Follow me on twitter @mike_oby_92
