Qatar will decide the exact number of stadiums it will use during the FIFA World Cup 2022 by the end of the year.

A spokesperson for the organizing committee said the final number hadn’t been finalised yet – and could be less than the 12 included in the original bid that controversially won Qatar the right to host the tournament.

So far, Qatar has announced details for five stadiums but is obliged to use at least eight venues, according to FIFA guidelines.

Foster + Partners are among the architects to have secured a stadium to design, with the UK-based practice chosen as lead architect for the Lusail Stadium, the centrepiece of the tournament. Working in conjunction with stadium specialists Populous and ARUP on the project, the Foster + stadium in Lusail City, north of Doha, will have a capacity of around 85,000 and is expected to host both the opening game and the final.

Elsewhere, multinational consultancy Dar Al-Handasah has been appointed to undertake a complete revamp of Doha’s existing Khalifa International Stadium. The group intends to transform the dated Khalifa International Stadium, originally constructed in 1976, into a 40,000 seat venue, with the addition of a roof to cover the entire seating area.

Initial designs have also been revealed for the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt stadium in Qatar’s Al Khor district. The stadium is set to host one of the two semi-finals and the design of the stadium - created by a team of Qatari architects - has been modelled after Bayt Al Sha'ar, a traditional tent used by nomadic peoples in Qatar and neighbouring countries.

Qatari officials remain confident that the 2022 World Cup will be staged in the country, despite an ongoing Swiss probe into the bidding processes for the 2018 (won by Russia) and 2022 tournaments.

Accusations of widespread corruption within FIFA reached a dramatic pinnacle in May, when a number of top FIFA officials were arrested ahead of the association’s annual congress.

There have been suggestions that the results of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup voting should be annulled – due to fears that corruption and bribes played a part in how the 200+ FIFA member nations voted – and the bidding processes restarted.

The timing of the Qatar World Cup has also come under fierce criticism. Due to the searing heat in the summer months, the competition will have to be held during November and December – disrupting national football competitions across the Northern hemisphere.

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