Qatar: No ‘white elephant’ legacy for World Cup stadiums
The Qatari state has built nearly every one of its stadiums with its own money and has invested billions of dollars into the mega projects
The World Cup stadiums which have been built
The state was once the “white elephant” for football stadiums. In the case of Qatar, however, this legacy is also the reason for a massive investment in infrastructure
So what does Qatar have to show for its billion dollars in infrastructure?
The World Cup stadiums which have been built
In just six short years, Qatar has built more stadiums for football than any other nation in the world.
The stadiums built and opened for football in Doha
The city of Doha, for example, has already completed more stadiums for the tournament than any other city in the world, and the country is currently building two more.
The first is scheduled to open in December 2017, which will be home to the headquarters of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the largest sporting event in the world.
The second, scheduled for a few months after the first one opens, will be home to the opening match of the tournament.
Other stadiums have seen their opening dates also shift a little, but for the most part it seems it would have been difficult to have a single World Cup stadium open in the winter months.
The World Cup stadiums which have been built are often the largest stadiums in the world – or, at times, the largest indoor stadiums in the world.
World Cup stadiums built in Doha
The stadiums have not only been built in Doha, but Doha has also become the home of the world’s largest indoor stadium.
The World Cup stadium in Doha
The World Cup stadiums in Doha
The World Cup stadiums in Doha – built with the help of a new and innovative technology – were built with an “aerodynamic shape”