Overnight the Al Bayt stadium, which hosted the opening game, went from 60,000 in the pre-tournament guide to 68,895 on the official website - while the biggest stadium, the Lusail, increased from 80,000 to 88,966. It came after fans were left confused by attendances breaching stadium capacity in every game.
A source close to the organisers insisted the original numbers reflected Fifa's requirements for stadiums to have a minimum of 80,000, 60,000 and 40,000 capacities. The Qataris have since found that the number of seats they needed for broadcast, media and sponsorship purposes was less than expected, hence the capacity increases.
The source added that the Lusail could seat 92,000 before broadcast and media requirements. Overall the combined capacities listed on Qatar's World Cup site increased from 380,000 to 426,221 yesterday.
This story is from the November 23, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 23, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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