However, despite the grand opening and the spectacular concert, many found themselves unable to enjoy their experience due to the high humidity level inside the stadium, with fans pointing to a lack of air conditioning.Īl-Hilal defeats Zamalek to secure Lusail Super Cup in Qatar For a country that is set to host the world’s largest football event of all time in less than 70 days, Lusail’s opening was nothing short of a challenge. With a record high of 77,575 spectators, the event marked the biggest such event in Qatar’s footballing history. Flawed systems: is it ready for the World Cup?

Everyone is struggling to try to find anything to eat or drink,” he said, showing hundreds of people rushing to get out of the stadium not even halfway through the game. Hussain Al Ashaq, a prominent Qatari influencer, said on his Snapchat story that he could not find any water or cold beverages after the first half of the game. What will we do during the World Cup? I don’t want to even go anymore,” he said. “I will forever be grateful for that young man because I can’t imagine what I would’ve done if he didn’t help. It was his last one, the father told Doha News. Luckily for Majda, a volunteer noticed her crying and gave her his own personal water that was unopened. However, when Majda’s father gave away her water to enter, he did not know he’d be struggling to find a bottle of water 30 minutes into the match. Per the stadium’s rules, no liquid is allowed inside. One father said that he spent 20 minutes trying to find a bottle of water for his 5-year-old daughter after security took her bottle at the gate. According to several people, vendors either ran out of cold water or did not have any water by the time people rushed to drink after walking for over 30 minutes. Once fans reached the stadium, many found themselves unable to get their hands on something as simple as water. However, lack of help was not the main concern. It was so tiring and frustrating,” another one added. For some reason, no one knew where it was. “I spent 20 minutes looking for the female bathroom. I would say just lack of proper training, almost like they were rushed before they were ready or had enough knowledge of the stadium,” a fan said. “Many of them were clueless, but I don’t think it is their fault, you know. Many fans have taken to social media to express their frustration over what they called ‘lack of organisation,’ with several claiming that the match did not have enough volunteers to aid with the huge number of fans that flocked to the stadium. Mohammed was not the only one struggling to find help. It was a very bad experience for all of us.” There was no water at all, the volunteers kept saying ‘I don’t know’ every time I asked how far we have left,” Mohammed, a father of three, said. “I had to carry my young son because he was tired from walking and was so dehydrated. One person told Doha News he and his family of 5 had to walk in 35-degree weather for over 45 minutes to reach the stadium. While hundreds of busses were on hand to transport fans, many said some parking lots did not offer shuttle services to transfer the masses. Given the mass number of spectators attending, the organising committee allocated various parking lots around the stadium to accommodate fans opting to drive to the new venue. Legendary Egyptian superstar Amr Diab also made his debut at the stadium, performing his very own concert prior to kick off.īut with such crowds came great responsibility-one that was questioned by many due to ‘never-ending’ issues faced by fans during the match. For that reason, among many, the venue has been chosen to host the much-awaited World Cup final on December 18, coinciding with Qatar National Day.Īfter years of waiting, exactly 77,575 spectators got to witness the stadium in all its glory during its opening ceremony for the Lusail Super Cup showdown between Al Hilal and Zamalek, which saw Saudi Al Hilal lifting the trophy. Qatar’s ‘jewel in the desert,’ also the largest stadium in the country, has the capacity to welcome 80,000 fans and is renowned for its spectacular facilities designed to woo anyone in its presence. Nearly 80,000 thousand fans flocked to the grand Lusail Stadium tin Qatar on Friday o witness the spectacular opening of the last of eight World Cup stadiums, many of whom carried flags to support Al Hilal SFC or Zamalek for the cup match.

Fans voice their frustration following the Lusail Super Cup event.

Shuttie bus surpise to airport