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≡ INTEL REPORT ≡
The FIFA 2030 World Cup will be played primarily in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three initial games in South America to mark the centennial of the event.
Now, the Moroccan architectural firm of Oualalou + Choi, in cooperation with global design giant Populous, has unveiled a design for a 115,000-seat Grand Stade Hassan II, to be a candidate for the FIFA 2030 World Cup final.
It’s a brand-new facility, to be the largest football stadium in the world, to be built in Benslimane, about 30 miles east of Casablanca. From the architect’s description:
● “The design draws inspiration from the traditional social gathering of Morocco known as a ‘moussem’, with the stadium structure set under a large tent roof that emerges as a dramatic intervention in the forested landscape.
● “At both ends of the colossal stadium bowl, three steep, compact tiers ensure a vibrant and spectacular atmosphere. Each ‘end’ of the stadium holds 29,500 general admission spectators.
● “Five levels of hospitality along each of the main stands at the side of the pitch welcome 12,000 VVIP, VIP, Hospitality and Box users, in addition to the Royal box.
● “The stadium is covered by a spectacular roof made from a unique aluminum lattice. Supporting the geometry of the roof and the bowl is a ring of 32 stairways, creating monumental gateways that feature lush gardens positioned on raised platforms, each 28 meters from the ground.”
After the World Cup, the stadium will be the home field for two Moroccan clubs, along with an expected rush of concerts and special events of all kinds.
The project is to be publicly financed, with a projected cost of €500 million (about $555 million U.S.) that was approved in October 2023. Preliminary groundwork has already started.
The facility is one of six proposed by Morocco for the 2030 World Cup; Spain has proposed the mammoth Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona (capacity 105,000), and the famed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid (80,000), certainly a possible location of the championship match, and the site of the final at the 1982 World Cup.
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