Al Janoub Stadium, formerly known as Al-Wakrah Stadium, is a retractable roof football stadium in Al-Wakrah, the capital city of the Al Wakrah Municipality, situated south of Doha. Designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid together with the firm AECOM, the stadium features a curvilinear postmodernist and neo-futurist design. The design is inspired by the sails of traditional dhow boats, in tribute to Al Wakrah’s seafaring past. The capacity of the stadium is 40,000.
The construction started in 2014 and it took 5 years to complete. The stadium was inaugurated on 16 May 2019, during the Amir Cup final between Al Sadd SC and Al-Duhail SC played in front of an audience of 38,678 people. It was the second World Cup stadium to be completed after Khalifa International Stadium. In 2019 the stadium hosted a semifinal match at the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup, it hosted the 2020 AFC Champions League Final, and six matches during the FIFA Arab Cup 2021.
During the World Cup the stadium will host seven matches, six group games and round of 16 match.
After the World Cup, Al Janoub Stadium will become the new home of Al-Wakrah SC. The capacity will be reduced by half, to 20,000. The remaining half of the stadium’s seats will be donated to developing countries in need of sporting infrastructure.
