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

The Santiago Bernabeu, Camp Nou, and Morocco’s under-construction Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca have emerged as the leading contenders to host the opening and final games of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, according to a newly released FIFA report.

Scheduled for completion in 2028, the Grand Stade Hassan II is set to become the largest football stadium 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 highlighted that the stadium’s capacity would significantly surpass the 80,000-seat minimum required for hosting the tournament’s marquee matches.

The report also described the venue as featuring modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities, located in a newly developed area between Casablanca and Rabat.

The site will benefit from a continental highway and a planned high-speed rail connection.

FIFA’s technical evaluation scored the Hassan II Stadium, Camp Nou, and Santiago Bernabeu a 4.3, with an adjusted score of 12.9, placing them at the top of the list of 20 proposed venues for the 2030 tournament.

The stadium’s design, showcased earlier this year in a Euronews video, draws inspiration from Moroccan tents and moussem culture.

It is the work of Moroccan engineer Tarik Oulaalou in collaboration with British firm Populous.

The highly anticipated 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, marking a historic collaboration between the three nations.