Doha: Qatar on Friday opened the Al Rayyan Stadium, the fourth of a total of eight 2022 World Cup venues, as the gas-rich state hosted the Amir Cup final between Al Sadd and Al Arabi.
Al Sadd beat Al Arabi 2-1 to clinch their 17th Amir Cup title.
“It is a wonderful football stadium,” Reuters quoted FIFA President Gianni Infantino as saying in a statement.
“The atmosphere is incredible, with the seats extremely close to the pitch… I am sure this will be a perfect football arena in 2022 when it hosts matches during the World Cup,” Infantino is quoted as saying in the note.
Qatar New Agency tweeted: “Amid a dazzling festive atmosphere, the State of Qatar inaugurates the ‘Ahmed bin Ali’ stadium in Al-Rayyan, the fourth stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”
The final of the Amir Cup coincided with Qatar’s National Day. The Persian Gulf country is scheduled to hold the 2022 football World Cup final in exactly two years.
The 40,000-capacity Al Rayyan Stadium is expected to host seven matches during the World Cup.
The stadium complex, which includes six training pitches, will be converted into a regional sporting hub after the 2022 World Cup.
Qatar has already inaugurated Khalifa International, Al Janoub and Education City—the other three World Cup venues.