Qatar has inaugurated the first of their 2022 World Cup stadiums by staging Emir Cup final, the gulf nation’s prestigious domestic tournament.
Al-Wakrah stadium, a 40,000 seater venue located just south of the capital Doha, hosted the final in which Al-Duhail SC beat Al Sadd, 4-1.
It is the second venue to be ready for the tournament, which takes place in three years’ time.
Seven stadiums have so far been built from scratch for the tournament, with an eighth stadium that was renovated and opened in 2017.
World football’s chief governing body will host its annual congress in Paris on June 5, where it is expected to make a final call on the expansion, though any decision must be signed off by Qatar, the first Arab country to win hosting rights for the tournament in 2010.
Qualifying will begin in June for the tournament which will start in November 2022, after it was moved from the usual summer slot to avoid the heat.