Al Janoub Stadium

Al Janoub Stadium stands in Al Wakrah, a coastal city south of Doha. It was originally called Al Wakrah Stadium and was inaugurated on 16 May 2019 as the second of the eight 2022 FIFA World Cup venues, after the renovated Khalifa International Stadium.

The stadium was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects together with AECOM. Its flowing shape and roof take inspiration from the sails of the dhow, the traditional boat used by pearl divers and fishermen of Al Wakrah.

A retractable roof and a cooling system allow matches to be played in comfort. During the 2022 World Cup the stadium held about 40,000 spectators and staged group matches and a round of 16 game. It is the home ground of Al Wakrah Sports Club.

The legacy plan was to reduce capacity after the tournament by removing the upper tier. The stadium sits within a wider precinct with parks, a sports centre and community facilities.

Visitors usually see the stadium during matches. Al Wakra station on the Doha Metro Red Line is the closest stop.

Dhow-shaped roof and stadium cooling

The retractable roof is made of pleated PTFE fabric stretched on cables, held by arches about 230 metres long. When it closes, the folds look like the hull and sails of a dhow seen from below. The cooling system aims for 18°C in the stands and 20°C on the pitch, which made summer football possible in the Gulf heat.

The stadium opened on 16 May 2019 with the Emir Cup final between Al Sadd and Al Duhail, watched by 38,678 people and the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

France, Australia and the seven 2022 matches

Seven World Cup matches were played here. France opened their title defence with a 4-1 win over Australia, and Australia came back to beat Tunisia 1-0 and Denmark 1-0 on the same ground to reach the knockout stage. Cameroon and Serbia drew 3-3 in one of the most open games of the group phase. The record crowd of 43,443 watched Uruguay beat Ghana 2-0 on 2 December 2022. The last match was the round of 16, where Croatia beat Japan 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Al Wakrah SC and the reduced legacy seating

Al Wakrah SC now plays its home games here, and the legacy plan cuts seating to about 20,000, with the removed seats offered to developing countries that need sports grounds. The surrounding precinct was planned with a school, a wedding hall, running and cycling tracks and gyms. Al Wakrah Souq, about 4 km away, makes a good stop before an evening match.