The engineering legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Lusail Stadium – the games’ centrepiece

Lusail Stadium hosted the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final on 18 December 2022 – an event that secured its place in the history of world football. As the largest and most iconic of the eight tournament stadiums, Lusail was a significant engineering challenge. Situated in Lusail city, this state-of-the-art venue with a capacity exceeding 88 000, showcases innovative architecture, engineering design and construction precision. This paper describes the structural systems designed for the bowl, the roof and the vessel structure in detail, providing insight into the processes followed by the project team to build the complex curvilinear bowl-shaped vessel and the hyperbolic paraboloid roof. The latter required a process involving modelling, form-finding and non-linear analyses, which are described in this paper. The tight construction timeline and stringent tolerance requirements demanded a comprehensive control process and a strict sequence to ensure smooth installation of the facade and roof membrane. The design of Lusail Stadium seamlessly blended tradition and modernity, representing Qatar's rich heritage while incorporating cutting-edge technologies. It stands as an exemplar of innovative and cutting-edge civil engineering.