By Razeen Gutta
While Qatar’s World Cup may have been a huge success, some promises have been left unfulfilled as the stadiums wait to be dismantled.
The Guardian journalist Nick Ames delivered some shocking revelations in the aftermath of Lionel Messi’s historic moment.
Lusail Stadium, the iconic ground where Argentina won hearts and cemented Messi’s legacy as the greatest of all time, was due to be repurposed after the tournament.
Instead, the grass remains well maintained with no games scheduled for the foreseeable future. And according to Ames, there is still “no timeline available for its transformation into a multifaceted community hub” either.
Over 100 days after its last game, Stadium 974 still stands. The iconic venue, built to demolish, was built entirely of shipping containers and was set to be broken down after the tournament with the intention of rebuilding it elsewhere.
The Al Janoub Stadium and Al Thumama Stadiums have been used for AFC Champions League games, in which the maximum attendance thus far stands at around 16 000.
Both grounds were set to be reduced in capacity from their 40 000 seats; although according to Ames, people are unaware of any such developments.
“The pledge is the capacities of both will shrink from 40,000 to 20,000; the lower figure looks comfortable given the biggest attendance in those fixtures was 16,320, in a semi-final between the local side Al-Duhail and Saudi giants Al-Hilal,” Ames wrote in 9.
“A source familiar with the workings of Al Janoub expressed surprise when The Guardian posited that the capacity might reduce sometime soon.”
Pictured above: Stadium 974
Image source: @joepompliano
