By Paul Nicholson in Doha
December 12 – Guests, dignitaries and media are gathering in Doha, Qatar, for the launch on Saturday of the Lusail Stadium design that will be the showpiece venue hosting the opening match and final of the 2022 World Cup.
The 80,000 capacity stadium is new build, and will be the centrepiece of a brand new city. Lusail City, which will grow to have a resident population of 270,000, is now nearing completion.
Top of the list of VIPs in Qatar is FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura who will be joined by a host of legends from football including Ronald de Boer, Samuel Eto’o, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Umtiti and Ruud Gullit.
Qatar is well advanced on its stadium build for 2022 with all expected to be completed by 2020.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, in Qatar earlier this week for one of the series of FIFA Summits meetings, said: “I went to meet the Prime Minister yesterday, to discuss with him the preparations for the World Cup. As I was here a couple of weeks ago at all the sites, the metro, the stadiums… amazing. It will be an amazing World Cup 2022.”
All eyes will be on the grand reveal on Saturday evening at the Lusail Marina for what is expected to be one of the world’s most spectacular cathedrals for football.
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