Madrid feeling World Cup heat as Morocco looms
Although the Bernabéu remains the favourite to host the 2030 World Cup final, Morocco stands in the way.
Midway between Casablanca and Rabat, surrounded by forest and teeming with cranes, the skeleton of the magnificent Hassan II Stadium is rising rapidly. With a capacity of 115,000, the venue is Morocco’s bold bid to host the 2030 World Cup final. AS has gained access to the construction site, marking the first time the media has been able to see the crown jewel competing with the Bernabéu and Camp Nou for the honour of staging football’s biggest match. For now, however, the Madrid stadium remains FIFA’s clear favourite.
“We are 40% through construction and expect the project to be completed by December 2027. There are currently 5,000 workers on site, and at peak capacity there will be at least 10,000. All the companies involved are Moroccan,” says Soussi Yassir, Deputy Director General of the National Agency for Public Facilities.
The scale of the stadium is staggering. It will feature three tiers: one with 22,600 seats, another with 40,600, and a third with 62,000. In many ways, it will feel like three stadiums in one. Perhaps the most striking feature is its 9,000 hospitality seats, along with extensive VIP and VVIP areas on a scale never before seen in a football stadium. It is a major asset in Morocco’s push to host the final.
FIFA “impressed” by Moroccan project
The project currently carries a price tag of more than $1 billion. “This isn’t Qatar. We’re preparing for the World Cup, but also for what comes after. We have to leave a legacy. Everyone who sees the project is impressed, including FIFA,” Yassir explains.
“It’s a stadium of extraordinary dimensions, a project that goes far beyond the venue itself. An entire metropolitan area will be developed around it, with highways, rail connections and more. The planning extends well beyond the World Cup,” says Tarik Oualalou, architect at Oualalou + Choi, the firm that designed the stadium alongside Populous.
The ultimate goal, of course, is to host the final. “We want the final. We know that, for many, the Bernabéu is the cathedral of football, but it sits in the middle of the city and it’s already built. This stadium is completely new, which makes it easier to adapt to FIFA’s requirements. Whatever they ask for, we can provide. FIFA loves the project and we are in constant contact with them. There will even be a dedicated area within the stadium for FIFA, with offices and whatever else they need,” Yassir concludes.
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