why Stadium 974, which was to be dismantled after the World Cup in Qatar, is still standing

This Sunday, PSG and Monaco will compete for the Champions Trophy in a venue that should no longer be there. Stadium 974, built for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, should have been dismantled after the event. But it's still there, without having served much purpose. Until these last few months…

It is still there, five kilometers from Doha international airport, located on the seaside. With its 974 colorful reused containers, echoing the neighboring port and the industrial history of the place, the 974 stadium – whose name also refers to the local call sign – did not move. The building has become somewhat dirty since it hosted six 2022 World Cup matches including France-Denmark. In the stands, employees, masks on their noses, finish cleaning. But inside, only the poster for the PSG-Monaco Champions Trophy (Sunday, 5:30 p.m.) has changed.

>>> All the information before the Champions Trophy between PSG and Monaco

“Always used for events”

And that’s what curiosity is. Because during its construction, it was promised that the “974” would then be quickly dismantled to be “recycled” in another country, developing or in need.

Today, no one gives clear explanations as to why it is still there. “The stadium is still used for events in Qatar,” explains a source close to the Qatar 2022 organizing committee, well informed about the legacy. “The stadium is constantly maintained by a dedicated team and has never been abandoned.” It's true, teams maintained it very frequently – even if the pitch was obviously a little high after the World Cup – but not for much at first, since no event took place there immediately after the World Cup.

“Very beautiful stadiums were built during the World Cup, we might as well take advantage of them again,” explains Paulette Fortes Sanchez, director of operations for the “Generation Amazing” organization, which is working on the legacy of Qatar 2022. “There are has different events in the premises, fashion, sport…” Here, the premises have in fact hosted a few ceremonies and seminars. And sports?

Bad communication and sustainability?

Not used for the 2023 Asian Cup, the ground ended up being used again recently since it hosted two matches of the Fifa Intercontinental Cup in December: Pachuca-Botafogo then Al-Ahly-Pachuca. Before, therefore, receiving this Champions Trophy. It's not much, all the same, for a sports venue. A former manager of Qatar 2022 also recognizes “the poor communication” around the future of the 44,000-seat stadium. “We wanted to do a storytelling that never came to fruition and the containers are always in the same place.” Yes but… The supporters could return in the coming months. Qatar will host the U17 World Cup from 2025 to 2029, as well as the next three editions of the Arab Cup, notably in the name of legacy.

Not sure, therefore, of seeing the 974 being dismantled, some officials would even ask themselves the question of perpetuating it… Especially since no agreement has ever been signed with a potential host country, in Africa or South America. South for example. Other sources affirm that exchanges still exist.

Other broken promises

A symbol of the procrastination on the famous legacy of stadiums built or renovated specifically for the 2022 World Cup. In the initial plans, some of them were to be planed and have their capacity reduced. None of this at the moment, even if some are still used to host sporting events like Lusail, scene of the Intercontinental Cup final.

“Around 170,000 seats to be removed from stadiums are expected to be donated to locations requiring sports infrastructure. Lusail Stadium will be transformed into a non-sporting venue, and it is planned that Stadium 974 will be completely dismantled and reassembled elsewhere for future use,” wrote Fifa in 2023. None of this has been done yet.