BBC commentator claims the Lusail Iconic Stadium is "right up there… with Ashton Gate"
Petition to get the 2030 World Cup staged in Bristol, anyone?
The Lusail Iconic Stadium is one of the most beautiful in the world, according to BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce… so much so that's in a premier tier with Bristol City's ground.
Pearce is one of the Beeb's most revered commentators, having worked on Match of the Day for decades now and earned a cult status as the voice of BBC show Robot Wars. The commentator is on duty alongside Homes Under The Hammer presenter Dion Dublin for Denmark's final group game against Australia – and he made a bold claim about Qatar's premier venue.
The Lusail Iconic Stadium, built specifically for the 2022 World Cup holds 88,000 or so spectators. When discussing the grounds used for the tournament during the Denmark vs Australia commentary, Pearce mentioned that Lusail's stadium was incredible, with Dublin saying that he'd not had the pleasure of visiting it.
"It's right up there with Tottenham's stadium," Pearce said of the ground, which is set to host 10 World Cup fixtures, including the final.
"Wow," Dublin replied. "That must be some stadium, then."
"…and Ashton Gate," Pearce added, referencing the Robins' patch.
"That's some stadium as well actually, having played there," Dublin kindly responded.
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Bristol City fans will be thrilled to know that a commentator as well-travelled as Jonathan Pearce – not to mention a Premier League legend of Dion Dublin's calibre – both rate their 27,000-seater stadium as highly as the likes of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, renowned for being one of the most impressive stadiums in Europe.
Before you ask: yes, Pearce is a Bristol City fan.
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.