Hassan II Stadium, Camp Nou, Santiago Bernabeu compete to host 2030 World Cup opening and final game

FIFA’s recently released report revealed that the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, the Camp Nou in Barcelona, and the yet-to-be-inaugurated Casablanca’s Grand Hassan II Stadium are the leading contenders to host the opening and final of the 2030 World Cup.

The Hassan II Stadium, slated for completion in 2028, is set to become the largest in the world with a seating capacity of 115,000.

“Morocco is proposing the Grand Stade Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, poised to become the world’s largest football stadium – an ambitious project which is already underway,” the report reads.

FIFA added that the stadium’s planned gross capacity of 115,000 would “comfortably exceed the minimum requirement of 80,000 seats for an opening match and/or final venue.”

The report adds that the stadium, which will provide “modern infrastructure and installations,” will be located between Casablanca and Rabat in a “newly developed area serviced by a continental highway and a planned high-speed rail link.”

FIFA’s technical evaluation gave Hassan II Stadium, Camp Nou, and Santiago Bernabeu a 4.3 score and an adjusted score of 12.9, topping the 20 proposed stadiums for the tournament.

A video shared by Euronews earlier this year showed the design of the upcoming stadium. It is inspired by Moroccan tents and moussem culture and designed by Moroccan engineer Tarik Oulaalou in collaboration with the British company Populous.

The much-anticipated World Cup is set to be co-hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal.