Lusail Stadium: Where Argentina Won the 2022 World Cup
The Lusail Iconic Stadium, in the planned city of Lusail north of Doha, is the largest stadium in Qatar and was the venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France — a match widely regarded as one of the finest in World Cup history. With a capacity of 88,966 for the tournament, the stadium also hosted nine other 2022 matches, including the semi-final between Argentina and Croatia and the third-place play-off. The ground is on the map.
Design and construction (2017-2021)
The Lusail Stadium was designed by the British firm Foster + Partners, working with Manica Architecture and the Qatari practice Arep. Construction took place between 2017 and 2021 on a site at the southern edge of Lusail city, a master-planned new urban area being developed on the Persian Gulf coast. The architectural form references the patterns of Islamic art and the surface decoration of traditional fanar lanterns, with a perforated golden-bronze exterior that filters light into the seating bowl.
The 2022 World Cup final
The 18 December 2022 World Cup final at Lusail — Argentina 3-3 France, with Argentina winning 4-2 on penalties — is widely regarded as the best World Cup final in living memory and one of the greatest matches in the competition's history. Lionel Messi scored twice, Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick (the first World Cup final hat-trick since Geoff Hurst in 1966), and the lead changed three times in normal and extra time before the shootout. The match brought Argentina its third World Cup, ending a 36-year wait dating to 1986.
The other 2022 matches
Lusail Stadium hosted ten 2022 World Cup matches: five group-stage games (including Brazil-Serbia, Argentina-Mexico, and Argentina-Saudi Arabia), one round-of-16 match (Netherlands-USA), the quarter-final (Netherlands-Argentina), the semi-final (Argentina-Croatia), and the final. The cumulative attendance at the ten matches placed Lusail at the centre of the tournament. The stadium also hosted the AFC Asian Cup final in 2024, which Qatar won 3-1 against Jordan.
Architecture and the perforated facade
The Lusail Stadium's golden exterior is a perforated metal panel system that references the surfaces of traditional Arabic art and the decoration of fanar lamps — pierced lanterns that filter light through geometric patterns. The interior is a continuous bowl with a tensile cable-net roof carrying a PTFE membrane; the roof shields seats and pitch from direct sun while admitting ventilation through gaps at the perimeter. Air-conditioning under each seat — the system used at all 2022 World Cup grounds — kept tournament-time temperatures around 20°C in the bowl despite outdoor temperatures of 25-32°C in November and December.
Cooling and sustainability
The under-seat cooling system, designed by the Qatari engineer Saud Ghani at Qatar University, was a feature of all 2022 venues but most extensively deployed at Lusail. Cool air is delivered at low velocity under each seat and at pitch level, with the perimeter design causing warm air to vent upward and outward. Solar power offset some of the system's energy consumption, and the tournament organisers presented the operation as a model for hot-climate sport, though the overall environmental impact of Qatar 2022 remains controversial.
The legacy plan
The post-tournament plan for Lusail Stadium involves a substantial reduction in capacity. The upper-tier seats — many of which were temporary or modular — are scheduled to be removed and donated for use at sports facilities in lower-income countries, with the resulting smaller venue (planned at around 40,000 seats) repurposed as a multi-use community facility including schools, shops, and health services on the upper tiers. As of 2026 the legacy conversion was in progress, with the stadium retained for major matches in the interim.
Lusail city and the urban context
The stadium anchors the southern end of Lusail, a master-planned city under construction north of Doha. Lusail is intended to house 200,000-450,000 residents on completion and to function as a satellite hub with its own marina, business district, and entertainment zones. The Doha Metro Red Line connects Lusail directly to Doha International Airport and the city centre, with the Lusail station serving the stadium directly.
Keep exploring
The stadium offers tours that include the dressing rooms used by Argentina and France for the 2022 final, the player tunnel, the press conference room, and views of the perforated facade from the player areas. The exterior is illuminated at night with patterns that recall the tournament's branding. The site is most easily reached on the Doha Metro Red Line from central Doha. See the location on the map.