Morocco is constructing the world’s largest sports stadium in a bid to host the final match of the Morocco-Spain-Portugal World Cup 2030, StadiumDB, an online platform dedicated to football stadiums, reported on Tuesday.
With a projected capacity of 115,000 seats, the site of the new stadium spans 100 hectares in the town of El Mansouria in Benslimane province, approximately 38 kilometers from the city of Casablanca near Casablanca airport.
Public financing for the project was approved in October 2023. The stadium will be built in compliance with FIFA’s standards, and it will serve as home to two local football clubs.
Fouzi Lekjaa, Head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), announced in October that Morocco aspires to host an “exceptional final” that will honor the entire continent of Africa and younger generations at the Casablanca stadium, which he said would be “extraordinary and magnificent.”
According to StadiumDB, continuing turmoil within the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), particularly the “Rubiales Case,” has fueled speculation that Morocco could grow into a more appealing contender than Spain to host the title game.
“The crisis of the RFEF could negatively affect Spain’s chances of hosting the final, as it needs to convince FIFA to make a choice favorable to [it],” stated the report.
Identifying possible Spanish venues to stage the game, the media outlet noted “The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is the most likely venue for this match, but the Camp Nou, set for completion in 2030, is also a viable option.”
Morocco is standing out as Spain’s principal rival for organizing the final, as Portugal has already abandoned its candidacy owing to a lack of investment in stadium capacity development, Antonio Laranjo, the contest coordinator for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, said on March 19.
The formal announcement of which stadiums will host which games is not scheduled until 2026, giving each potential host country a significant window to showcase its infrastructure.