Lusail Stadium to host opening and final matches of AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023

Lusail Stadium

Lusail Stadium is set to host the opening and final matches of AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 which will take place between Jan 12 and Feb 10 of next year.

AFC Asian Cup 2023 will see the best teams from the continent compete across nine stadiums in Qatar.

The 88,000-seat stadium which famously hosted the final match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will host the opening match between hosts Qatar and Lebanon at 7pm local time.

Six other Qatar 2022 stadiums -- Al Bayt, Al Janoub, Al Thumama, Ahmad bin Ali, Education City, and Khalifa International -- will host matches during the tournament. The venues will be joined by Jassim bin Hamad and Abdulla bin Khalifa stadiums, homes to Qatar Stars League sides Al Sadd SC and Al Duhail SC respectively.

Twenty-four teams will make up six groups, with as many as three matches per day taking place during the group stage.

Qatar’s compact nature will mean that fans will be able to attend more than one match during a day, giving visiting spectators the ability to stay in one place of accommodation throughout the tournament.

"We are thrilled to be hosting this prestigious tournament for a third time and are confident that this will be the best edition of the tournament thus far," CEO of the Local Organizing Committee for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Jassim Al Jassim said.

The match schedule will see some exciting fixtures between Asia’s biggest teams, he added.

Once again, the stadiums will come to life with passion and excitement, as spectators from all around the continent will make their way to Qatar for the Asian Cup, Al Jassim said.

Qatar previously hosted Asia’s premier footballing competition in 1988 and 2011. The defending champions, who lifted the trophy after going on an unbeaten run in 2019, will be keen on retaining their title on home soil.

The Qatari team is drawn into group A alongside China, Tajikistan, and Lebanon.

The top two teams from each group as well as the four best third-placed teams will compete in the round of 16, which will start on Jan 28. The final match will take place on Feb 10 at Lusail Stadium at 6pm.