New images have been released for what is set to be the world’s largest football stadium, set to host matches for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco, is set to be the world’s largest football stadium, with a capacity of 115,000. The arena is expected to be inaugurated just in time for the North African country to jointly host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Morocco will host the tournament alongside Portugal and Spain, with the Casablanca venue already earmarked for the final. Preparations for the construction of the stadium began in October 2023 on the 100-hectare site. The current record for the largest football stadium is held by the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, which has a capacity of 114,000 and hosts the national football team.
Hassan II Stadium was designed by Parisian architects Oualalou + Choi and Populous, a world leader in sports design. However, it will not be the largest stadium in the world, all categories combined. That honor goes to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India. This cricket stadium does not host football matches, but can accommodate up to 132,000 spectators.
Inspired by the « moussem », an annual regional festival, a traditional Moroccan societal gathering where groups come together for cultural exchange – its roof structure is designed to resemble a large tent in the wooded landscape of Casablanca.
Around the main stadium, groups of gardens house sports fields and complexes more small. This “green oasis” includes botanical gardens that add a new level of interaction between the stadium and the surrounding nature, 38 km northeast of Casablanca. Each end of the stadium has a stand that can accommodate 29,500 spectators, plus 12,000 spectators in the five levels of VIP reception stands.
