The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has already gotten plenty of criticism, and more is on the way after one the stadiums reportedly failed its first test run. Lusail Stadium hosted Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Zamalek of Egypt for a match, and the venue experienced a host of problems, according to USA Today.
Lusail Stadium is slated to host 10 World Cup matches, including the final. The stadium had a difficult time accommodating the 77,575 fans in attendance for a variety of reasons in what served as a trial run. To make the situation even more concerning, that crowd was slightly below the stadium’s capacity of 80,000.
“According to multiple reports, there were a myriad of problems, including but not limited to: inadequate transportation to the venue, the exhaustion of the stadium’s water supply by halftime, lack of air conditioning amid stifling heat, and an inadequate amount of bathrooms,” Seth Vertelney wrote for USA Today.
Doha News reported on the lack of transportation that was supposed to take fans back to their cars in the parking lot. One family told the outlet that they had to walk 45 minutes back to their car in 95-degree heat.
Lusail Stadium also ran out of water at halftime of the match, according to Reuters. Considering the World Cup will be played in extreme heat, that will be a major concern when it kicks off later this year.
The 2022 World Cup is set to start on Nov. 20 and run through Dec. 18.
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