Three fantastic stadiums for the first phase of the Spanish national team in Qatar

The 64 matches of the World Cup in Qatar will be held in eight different stadiums. The Spanish national team will play the first phase in three of them. The first one will be Al Thumama, which is located in the city of Doha and has a capacity for 40,000 spectators. There they will face Costa Rica in their opening match on Wednesday 23 November.

AL THUMAMA STADIUM

This stadium aims to radiate the culture of the Middle East and the Arabic world by bearing the name of an indigenous tree that grows in the area. It has an unusual exterior design, whose circular shape resembles the Gahfiya, a traditional woven cap. Its eco-friendly design ensures that 40% more fresh water is saved compared to a conventional stadium. The stadium has large parks that will be transformed into a community centre with multi-sport facilities after the World Cup. The stadium will also host other matches of the group stage, round of 16 and quarter finals.

AL BAYT STADIUM

Spain's second match in Qatar will be at Al Bayt, which is located 40 km from Doha, in Al Khora, and has a capacity of 60,000 spectators. There, Luis Enrique's national team will face Germany on Sunday 27 November. It owes its name to the tents historically used by the nomads of Qatar and the Gulf region. The black stripes that can be seen outside the stadium simulate the clothing of these nomadic Qataris. The stadium will host 9 matches, including the opening match of the World Cup.

INTERNATIONAL KHALIFA STADIUM

Finally, Spain will close the group phase of the tournament at Khalifa International Stadium against Japan on Thursday 1 December. This stadium is over 46 years old, and in 2017 it was celebrated its reopening with great innovations, obtaining the Global Sustainnability Assessment System (GSAS) certification. In addition, it has become the sports excellence centre Aspire Zone. The third and fourth place match will also be played there with a maximum of 40,000 spectators.