Qatar World Cup 2022: Where will the games be played? How do you get to the stadiums?

A fully demountable stadium made from colourful shipping containers, an 80,000-seater stadium rising from the desert and Zaha Hadid's infamous Al Janoub Stadium, this year's Qatar World Cup will see stadia unlike any other before.

The futuristic eight venues, the fewest since the 1978 World Cup, are distinct, bold, colourful and thoroughly modern.

Located within 35 miles of each other, they're also a logistical relief for the more than one million fans attending the biggest sporting spectacle in the world.

Linked by a metro and tram system, those lucky enough to have purchased tickets will be able to watch more than one game in the same day.

As an added perk, for the first time in the tournament's history, this year's World Cup will also not be taking place during the summer.

When the tournament kicks off on 20 November, the temperature in Qatar is expected to be warm and pleasant, ranging from an average high of 29C in the daytime, to an average low of 19C at night.

Still, some of the new grounds, which were designed to celebrate Qatari and Arab culture, are equipped with cooling systems to battle the heat while others have outdoor air-conditioning. 

Seven of the eight stadiums have been built from scratch, and once the tournament's over, some will either be dismantled or reduced in capacity and repurposed as hotels, community spaces or smaller sporting facilities.

While there is much fanfare over the venues and the legacy they will leave behind, the conditions for construction workers mainly from India, Nepal and Bangladesh have come under scrutiny from rights groups such as Amnesty International.

The rights group says thousands have unexpectedly died and Qatar's labour laws have abused and exploited its more than two million migrant workers.

Qatar has pushed back against the criticism, saying the number of deaths amongst migrant workers in the country is proportionate to the size of the workforce.

Here, Middle East Eye takes a look at the eight stadiums, and for those travelling to Qatar, gives a rough guide on how to get to them.

Lusail Stadium

Capacity: 80,000
Games: 10, including the final
Distance from Doha city centre: 20km
How to get there: Lusail QNB Metro Station (Red line) is a 15-minute walk from the stadium. Parking is close to the venue but spaces will fill up fast. Drop-off and pick-up areas are a 15-minute walk away.

The showpiece stadium for the Qatar World Cup, Lusail Stadium will host the final as well as other key matches.

Costing an estimated $767m, it's one of the biggest stadiums to be constructed and the design was inspired by the the Arabian fanar lantern.

The venue draws power from a solar farm outside the city and features cooling systems to help combat the local climate.

At the end of the tournament, most of the seats will be removed and donated to developing countries.

Group-stage fixtures:
Argentina v Saudi Arabia
Brazil v Serbia
Argentina v Mexico
Portugal v Uruguay
Saudi Arabia v Mexico
Cameroon v Brazil

Al Bayt Stadium 

Capacity: 60,000
Games: Eight, including the opening ceremony
Distance from Doha city centre: 43km (27 miles)
How to get there: You can take the Lusail QNB Metro Station (Red line) to Al Bayt Stadium. After getting off the metro, a shuttle bus (Service Number S950) will run to and from Lusail QNB Metro Station. For those taking taxis it's at least a 15-minute walk to the stadium from the drop-off area. 

The Al Bayt Stadium will host the opening ceremony and first game of the World Cup. It's going to be the second-largest stadium at the tournament and was designed to resemble traditional Arab tents known as bayt al sha'er (house of hair - the tents are woven using goat's hair), which are used by Bedouins in the Gulf region.

Because temperatures in Qatar can top 30C even in November, the stadium will also have a retractable roof to keep out the heat. 

The stadium was opened for the Fifa Arab Cup following seven years of construction.

Group-stage fixtures:
Qatar v Ecuador
Morocco v Croatia
England v USA
Spain v Germany
Netherlands v Qatar
Costa Rica v Germany

Education City Stadium

Capacity: 40,000 
Games: Eight, up to the quarter-finals
Distance from Doha city centre: 10km (6.2 miles)
How to get there: If you're taking the metro, hop off at the Education City Metro Station (Green line). The station is at least a 15-minute walk from the stadium.

Education City Stadium opened in June 2020 during an event that paid tribute to healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

The venue is billed as one of the world's most environmentally sustainable stadiums. It is surrounded by Qatar's educational institutes, which will continue to use the stadium after the tournament ends.

Group-stage fixtures:
Denmark v Tunisia
Uruguay v South Korea
Poland v Saudi Arabia
South Korea v Ghana
Tunisia v France
South Korea v Portugal

Stadium 974

Capacity: 40,000
Distance from Doha city centre: 10km (6.2 miles)
Games: Seven, up to the last 16
How to get there: You can take the metro and hop off at Ras Bu Abboud Metro Station (Gold line). The station is a 30-minute walk from the stadium.

Located on the shore across from Doha's West Bay skyline, the name Stadium 974 is a reference to the country's international dialling code and the number of shipping containers used in the stadium's construction.

The stadium will be completely dismantled after the World Cup, its reusable elements intended for other construction projects, including possible reuse at a future tournament. 

It's the first stadium used for a World Cup specifically designed to be taken down afterwards.

Group-stage fixtures:
Mexico v Poland
Portugal v Ghana
France v Denmark
Brazil v Switzerland
Poland v Argentina
Serbia v Switzerland

Khalifa International Stadium

Capacity: 45,416
Distance from Doha city centre: 13km (8 miles)
Games: Eight, including third-place play-off
How to get there: Sport City Metro Station (Gold line) is a 15-minute walk from the stadium. Parking is close to the venue but spaces will fill up fast. Drop-off and pick-up areas are a 20-30 minute walk away from the stadium.

Built in 1976, the Khalifa International Stadium was the only venue which already existed before Qatar was awarded the World Cup, although it has since been updated.

It is named after Qatar's former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and has been the home stadium for the national team since its construction.

Group-stage fixtures:
England v Iran
Germany v Japan
Netherlands v Ecuador
Croatia v Canada
Ecuador v Senegal
Japan v Spain

Ahmad bin Ali Stadium

Capacity: 44,740
Distance from Doha city centre: 19km (12 miles)
Games: Seven, up to the last 16
How to get there: Al Riffa Mall of Qatar Metro Station (Green line) is a 15-minute walk from the stadium. Parking is close to the venue but spaces will fill up fast. Drop-off and pick-up areas are a 10-minute walk from the stadium.

The Ahmad bin Ali Stadium is home to one of Qatar's most successful clubs, Al-Rayyan, who are eight time winners of  the Qatar Stars League,

With a design influenced by the desert landscape, the venue features intricate patterns representing Qatar, from its wildlife to its history of trade.

The stalls outside the ground will be shaped to resemble sand dunes. 

Group-stage fixtures:
USA v Wales
Belgium v Canada
Wales v Iran
Japan v Costa Rica
Wales v England
Croatia v Belgium

Al Thumama Stadium

Capacity: 40,000
Distance from Doha city centre: 11km (7 miles)
Games: Eight, up to quarter-final
How to get there: To get to the Al Thumama Stadium, hop off the metro at the Free Zone Metro Stadium (Red line) and get on the shuttle bus service (Service Number S980). The bus journey runs for 15 minutes and it will be a 25 minute walk to the stadium.

Al Thumama Stadium is situated close to Doha's Hamad International Airport and was designed by Qatari architect Ibrahim M Jaidah, who was inspired by the gahfiya, a traditional cap worn by men and boys across the Middle East. Its capacity will be reduced to 20,000 after the World Cup.

Group-stage fixtures:
Senegal v Netherlands
Spain v Costa Rica
Qatar v Senegal
Belgium v Morocco
Iran v USA
Canada v Morocco

Al Janoub Stadium

Capacity: 40,000
Distance from Doha city centre: 11km (7 miles)
Games: Seven, up to last 16
How to get there: Al Wakra Metro Station (Red line) is the closest metro station to Al Janoub Stadium. A shuttle bus service (Service Number S290) will operate to and from the metro station. The bus ride will last 10 minutes, and after hopping off the bus it'll be a five minute walk to the stadium.

Located south of Doha in the city of Al-Wakrah, Al Janoub Stadium was designed by the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and inspired by the traditional boats used for pearl diving and fishing.

The symmetrical roof, intended to look like sails, is the standout feature. 

Group-stage fixtures:
France v Australia
Switzerland v Cameroon
Tunisia v Australia
Cameroon v Serbia
Australia v Denmark
Ghana v Uruguay