“The stadium is extraordinary. I was here seven months ago during the final stages of construction. I am delighted to see how beautiful and functional it is, but I am not surprised.

"Qatar is working very hard to excel when it comes to every aspect of the tournament. Today, we have seen even more proof of their capability and commitment, and we will keep working side by side towards all other milestones that will come our way until 2022,” said FIFA President Infantino.

"I've travelled the world and I've been to stadiums in different cities including the UK," said Yousef al-Jaber, a 35-year-old oil company research director from Doha.

"Finally I was able to go to one in Qatar that is world-class," added the Chelsea fan who watched the game with his wife and two sons.

"It's a one of a kind, it's a futuristic design. Al-Wakrah is a coastal city and the architecture is inspired by that."

The venue's distinctive retractable roof - meant to resemble the sails of a traditional dhow fishing boat - is made of 1,400 pieces and was shipped to Qatar from Italy.

It was plunged into darkness for the pre-match show and performers assembled around a giant illuminated inflatable pearl on the centre of the manicured pitch.

A video describing the Gulf nation's history as a pearling station played on the ground's two big screens.

The pearl then slowly transformed into a representation of the Amir Cup trophy before a 150-strong marching band serenaded the stadium.

Officials had promised that the stadium would be "one of the loudest stadiums" in the world because of its design.

Groups of fans, many of whom wore pristine white Qatari thobes, drummed and sang as throughout the final as Al Duhail ultimately triumphed 4-1 over Qatar Stars League titleholders Al Sadd.

Of the eight stadiums Qatar is building or refurbishing for 2022, Khalifa International was already open and will host this year's World Athletics Championships.

Al-Wakrah, 15 kilometres south of the capital Doha, will be used in the FIFA World Cup for fixtures up to and including quarter-finals.

Sources: AFP, FIFA