Karbala International Stadium ( ar, ملعب كربلاء الدولي) is the largest
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
stadium in the city of
Karbala and the middle-Euphrates area. It can accommodate more than 30 thousand spectators and was opened on 12 May 2016.
Description
Karbala International Stadium's construction started in January 2013 and the construction was at an overall cost of $100,000,000 funded by the government of Iraq. It is a grass surfaced football (soccer) arena with a total area of 34,000m
2. It can seat up to 30,000 spectators and has other sports-related facilities. The height of the roof raises to about 35 metres. The stadium does not have an athletics track, allowing spectators to enjoy an optimal visual experience. The outer facade of the stadium is composed of 72 gates, which is a symbolic number as it represents the number of
martyrs of Karbala. It was designed and built by Bahadır Kul Architects. It is owned by the Iraqi national government and is home to
Karbalaa FC
Karbala Sport Club is an Iraqi football club based in Karbala that plays in the Iraqi Premier League, the top tier of Iraqi football.
SWAT Incident
On June 23, 2013, after a match against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, seven football players of Karbala FC a ...
.
It opened on 12May 2016 with a football match between
Karbalaa FC
Karbala Sport Club is an Iraqi football club based in Karbala that plays in the Iraqi Premier League, the top tier of Iraqi football.
SWAT Incident
On June 23, 2013, after a match against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, seven football players of Karbala FC a ...
and the
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
's
2007 AFC Asian Cup-winning team in the presence of 30 thousand spectators, including the governor of
Karbala and the former Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports
Abdul-Hussein Abtaan
Abdul-Hussein Abdul Redha Abtaan ( ar, عبد الحسين عبد الرضا عبطان; born 1 May 1964) is an Iraqi politician and former Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports. He served as deputy governor of Najaf (2005–2009), deputy in the Ir ...
, and the game ended 0–0. The Brazilian coach
Jorvan Vieira
Jorvan Vieira (born September 29, 1953) is a Brazilian-Portuguese football coach and former player who played for Botafogo, Vasco da Gama and Portuguesa in the Brazil Serie A, and a current manager of ENPPI.
Career
Playing career
Vieira was ...
was also present as a guest of honour.
On 13November 2017, the first international friendly match was held on the pitch between the Iraqi and Syrian national teams; the match ended in a draw.
On 14August 2019, the stadium hosted the
West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship final, marking the comeback of the continental tournaments on Iraqi soil.
Events
* 2019 –
West Asian Football Federation Championship
The West Asian Football Federation Championship (), or simply WAFF Championship, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), the g ...
See also
*
List of football stadiums in Iraq
The following is a list of football stadiums in Iraq, ordered by capacity.
Current stadiums
Future stadiums
Stadiums which are currently in development include:
See also
* List of Asian stadiums by capacity
* List of association football s ...
References
Football venues in Iraq
Karbala
Sports venues completed in 2016
2016 establishments in Iraq
Buildings and structures in Karbala
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