Khalifa International Stadium

Khalifa International Stadium (/kəˈlfə/, Arabic: استاد خليفة الدولي, ALA-LC: Istād Khalīfah al-Duwalī) is a multi-purpose stadium located in Al Rayyan, Qatar, around 9 kilometres (6 miles) west from the centre of Doha. Its ground comprises a running track and a grass pitch. Opened in 1976, the stadium was named after then Emir of Qatar Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani. Under the ownership of the Qatar Football Association, it serves as the primary home ground of the Qatar men's national football team. Its current fully-roofed, 45,857-seat configuration was opened in 2017, following a previous reconfiguration in 2005 that incorporated the stadium into the Aspire Zone complex and added a roofed grandstand; boosting its capacity from 20,000 to 40,000.

Khalifa International Stadium
استاد خليفة الدولي (Arabic)
Map
Location
Coordinates25°15′49″N 51°26′53″E / 25.26361°N 51.44806°E / 25.26361; 51.44806
Public transit Sport City (المدينة الرياضية)
OwnerQatar Football Association
Capacity45,857
Record attendance45,344 (England vs Iran, 21 November 2022)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened1976
Renovated2005, 2017
ArchitectDar Al-Handasah (2017)
Tenants
Qatar national football team (1976–present)

Khalifa has hosted numerous international association football and athletics events throughout its history. Track and field events at the 2006 Asian Games, 2011 Pan Arab Games, and 2019 World Athletics Championships were held at the stadium, and World Athletics has since organised the annual Doha Diamond League event there as part of its Diamond League series. In the future, Khalifa is planned to host track and field events at the 2030 Asian Games. In association football, the stadium hosted matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship, the 2011 and 2023 AFC Asian Cup, and three editions of the Arabian Gulf Cup. The final of the Emir of Qatar Cup is also occasionally played at the stadium.

History

edit

Khalifa International Stadium opened in 1976, ahead of the 4th Arabian Gulf Cup, with a mostly symmetrical stadium bowl and a basic roof covering the upper seats of the stadium's western stand. The stadium hosted all 22 games of the tournament, which was won by Kuwait.[1][2][3] Sixteen years later, the stadium once again hosted all 15 games of the 11th Arabian Gulf Cup in 1992, which saw hosts Qatar win the Arabian Gulf Cup the very first time.[4][5]

 
Interior view towards the northeast during a World Cup football match in November 2022
 
Fireworks during the 2006 Asian Games opening ceremony.

In preparation for Doha's hosting of the 2006 Asian Games, Khalifa International Stadium was renovated with a complete remodelling of the stadium's western stand, which transformed it into a grandstand with a second tier and a new roof that covered all the seats. Over the eastern side, a large arch with additional light fixtures were added, which was used as a platform; this was used during the games' opening ceremony to launch fireworks from.[6] The stadium's reconfiguration in 2005 was part of the larger Doha Sports City urban renewal project in Al Rayyan, later known as the Aspire Zone complex. Today, it includes the Aspire Academy, Hamad Aquatic Centre, and the Aspire Tower.[7] The ceremonies and track and field events of the 2011 Pan Arab Games were also held at Khalifa a few years later.[8]

After the rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup were awarded to Qatar in December 2010, Khalifa International Stadium was reconfigured again to stage matches during the tournament. An initial plan to upgrade the stadium's capacity to at least 68,000 was mulled but later revised.[9] The final design by international architecture firm Dar Al-Handasah, saw the stadium's capacity boosted to 45,857 with the addition of a new tier on the eastern stand, and a new roof covering the entire stadium was built.[10][11] Upon its reopening in 2017, it became the first stadium to receive a four-star rating from the FIFA-endorsed Global Sustainability Assessment System of the Middle East and North Africa,[12] and was the first of the eight venues of the FIFA World Cup to open.[13][14][15] Since its reopening, the stadium hosted the 2019 World Athletics Championships, and three matches of the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, including its final.[16][17][18]

Speciality

edit

Khalifa International stadium was the first one to get inaugurated during last year's Amir cup finals. It has long been the cornerstone of the country's sporting tradition with its unique geography and advanced transport systems.[19]

Khalifa International stadium has set a benchmark. However, its most significant feature is its roof which covers over 70 per cent of the stadium. The roof is designed with EFTE and PTFE materials. Although it is not retractable like other stadiums, it can still provide sufficient shade for fans.However, the distinctive feature of the Khalifa Stadium is its two roof arches. These arches are located on the east and west side of the stadium, which is over 120metre high. Furthermore, it is also fitted with cooling units that span around the stadium.

The cooling system can drop the temperature down to 24 degrees during matches. In addition, the latest renovation also saw the installation of LED pitch lights and a digital floodlight.[20]

Renovation

edit

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and the Aspire Zone Foundation collaborated to renovate the stadium, which got underway in 2014. It involved building a sports museum (3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum), expanding the east wing of the stadium's stands to accommodate 48,000 spectators, adding hospitality and VIP suites, installing a state-of-the-art roof that covers every stand in the stadium, and installing cooling technology that uses 40% less energy than traditional stadium cooling technology to maintain the field's ideal temperature of 26 degrees all year round.[21]

International matches

edit

Tournament results

edit

4th Arabian Gulf Cup (1976)

edit

11th Arabian Gulf Cup (1992)

edit

1998 Arab Cup

edit
Date Time(QST) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
1 October 1998 21:00   Kuwait 4–1   United Arab Emirates Third place 25,000
1 October 1998 23:00   Saudi Arabia 3–1   Qatar Final 25,000

2011 AFC Asian Cup

edit

The Khalifa International Stadium hosted six matches during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, including the final.

Date Time(QST) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
7 January 2011 19:15   Qatar 0–2   Uzbekistan Group A 37,143
12 January 2011 19:15   China 0–2   Qatar 30,778
16 January 2011 19:15   Qatar 3–0   Kuwait 28,339
21 January 2011 19:25   Uzbekistan 2–1   Jordan Quarter-finals 16,073
25 January 2011 19:25   Uzbekistan 0–6   Australia Semi-finals 24,826
29 January 2011 18:00   Australia 0–1   Japan Final 37,174

24th Arabian Gulf Cup (2019)

edit
Date Time (AST) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
26 November 2019 19:30   Qatar 1–2   Iraq Group A 37,890
29 November 2019 17:30   United Arab Emirates 0–2   Iraq 17,437
19:30   Yemen 0–6   Qatar 26,392
2 December 2019 17:30   Qatar 4–2   United Arab Emirates TBD
20:00   Kuwait 2–4   Bahrain Group B TBD

2022 FIFA World Cup

edit

The Khalifa International Stadium hosted eight matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, including the third place play-off.

Date Time(QST) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
21 November 2022 16:00   England 6–2   Iran Group B 45,344
23 November 2022 16:00   Germany 1–2   Japan Group E 42,608
25 November 2022 19:00   Netherlands 1–1   Ecuador Group A 44,833
27 November 2022 19:00   Croatia 4–1   Canada Group F 44,374
29 November 2022 18:00   Ecuador 1–2   Senegal Group A 44,569
1 December 2022 22:00   Japan 2–1   Spain Group E 44,851
3 December 2022 18:00   Netherlands 3–1   United States Round of 16 44,846
17 December 2022 18:00   Croatia 2–1   Morocco Third place play-off 44,137

2023 AFC Asian Cup

edit

On 5 April 2023, the Khalifa International Stadium was chosen as one of eight (then nine) venues for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.

Date Local time Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
14 January 2024 17:30   United Arab Emirates 3–1   Hong Kong Group C 15,586
16 January 2024 20:30   Saudi Arabia 2–1   Oman Group F 41,987
19 January 2024 20:30   Hong Kong 0–1   Iran Group C 36,412
22 January 2024 18:00   Qatar 1–0   China Group A 42,104
25 January 2024 14:30   Jordan 0–1   Bahrain Group E 39,650
29 January 2024 14:30   Iraq 2–3   Jordan Round of 16 35,814

Friendly

edit
Date Time (QST) Team #1 Result Team #2
14 November 2009 19:15   Brazil 1–0   England
17 November 2010 19:15   Brazil 0–1   Argentina
18 November 2010 18:00   Qatar 0–1   Haiti
16 December 2010 18:00   Qatar 2–1   Egypt
22 December 2010 16:00   Qatar 2–0   Estonia
28 December 2010 19:15   Qatar 0–0   Iran
6 February 2013 21:00   Spain 3–1   Uruguay
7 September 2018 19:00   Qatar 1–0   China
11 September 2018 19:00   Qatar 3–0   Palestine
31 December 2018 20:00   Qatar 1–2   Iran

References

edit
  1. ^ "В Катаре началась продажа билетов на Чемпионат мира по легкой атлетике 2019 года". fingazeta.ru. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Everything you need to know about Qatar's new Khalifa International Stadium". iloveqatar.net. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  3. ^ "The Al-Khalifa International – an icon among Qatar's 2022 World Cup venues". en.as.com. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Gulf Cup 1992 (in Doha, Qatar)". RSSSF. 20 June 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  5. ^ "When Qatar left a mark at Arabian Gulf Cup". gulf-times.com. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Khalifa International Stadium". worldstadia.com. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Qatar celebrates legacy of sports, Olympics with 3-2-1 museum launch". gdnonline.com. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Gulf Times – Qatar's top-selling English daily newspaper - First Page". Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  9. ^ "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums: A guide". timeoutdoha.com. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Khalifa International Stadium". fifa.com. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Expansion of East Stand at Khalifa Stadium". dar.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  12. ^ FIFA.com (28 November 2017). "Khalifa International Stadium receives major sustainability award". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Qatar 2022: Football World Cup stadiums at a glance". aljazeera.com. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Khalifa International Stadium reinforces Qatar's national vision". en.as.com. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Get To Know The 2022 Qatar World Cup Stadiums". archdaily.com. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Qatar's iconic sports venue - The Khalifa International Stadium". thepeninsulaqatar.com. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Education City Stadium to host FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019™ final". FIFA. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  18. ^ "Tracks worlds stadium in Qatar to host Club World Cup games". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 4 October 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  19. ^ "Eight futuristic and sustainable stadiums set to make 2022 World Cup in Qatar more exciting!". ILoveQatar.net. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Khalifa International Stadium - World Cup Qatar 2022". footballgroundguide.com. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Khalifa International Stadium – Stats and Facts" (PDF). iaaf.org. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
edit
Events and tenants
Preceded by Asian Games
Opening and closing ceremonies

2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Busan Asiad Main Stadium
Busan
Asian Games
Athletics tournament
Main venue

2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by AFC Asian Cup
Final venue

2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by World Athletics Championships
2019
Succeeded by
Preceded by Asian Games
Opening and closing ceremonies

2030
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Paloma Mizuho Stadium
Nagoya
Asian Games
Athletics tournament
Main venue

2030
Succeeded by
King Fahd International Stadium
Riyadh
  NODES
Association 4
Idea 1
idea 1
INTERN 30
Note 1
Project 1