The Spanish press has taken a surprising 180-degree turn after announcing previously that the Bernabéu's candidacy was certain. Now, Spanish journalists are warning of Morocco “taking away” the final from the country. The reason for the turnaround is the impressive new visuals of the Grand Stade Hassan II, larger than the Bernabéu by 30,000 seats.

A tentative “certainty”

Triumphant reports of the Spanish press proved premature. Morocco are still claiming the final. Only a few days ago it seemed that the modern new Bernabéu was an almost certain favourite. The 360° screen, the lockable roof, the sliding pitch... These features speak for themselves. There is no other stadium like it in the world.

However, a yet should be added to such a statement, as the rivals for Madrid's gem are yet to be built. The first is, of course, Camp Nou, which is undergoing redevelopment. The second is Grand Stade Hassan II, whose design only recently left the architectural studios of Populous and O+C. However, it has done so with a bang that has undermined the candidature of Los Blancos’ arena.

Design of Estadio Santiago Bernabéu

Fear in the Iberian Peninsula

The publication of the new official renderings of Grand Stade Hassan II has unleashed a storm. Moroccan media see them as a signal that the country is not going to let go of hosting the most important match of the tournament. Casablanca could host the final of the 2030 World Cup, - reports APA News.

The Spanish press, in turn, warns of a Megastadium with the aim of taking the final away from the Bernabéu (AS) or an arena that dreams of taking away the 2030 World Cup final from Spain (Marca). There is also talk of an international campaign (La Razón) to tip the scales in Morocco's favour.

The stadium will be fully compliant for FIFA competitions, with the ability to host the final at the FIFA World Cup 2030,- assured Populous studio.With a capacity of 115,000, Grand Stade Hassan II will surpass Rungrado May Day Stadium to become the largest football stadium in the world. This is the main advantage of the Moroccan design. The stadium will surpass the capacity of the Bernabéu by around 30,000 seats.

© FC Barcelona | Design of Nou  Camp Nou

World Cup overbooking

In the Bid Book - that is, the FIFA-submitted record of candidature for the 2030 World Cup - in the expected round section next to Camp Nou, Bernabéu and Grand Stade Hassan II, we will find the same goal: Opening game / Final. The same happens for the semi-finals (5 stadiums declared) and quarter-finals (9 stadiums declared).

This is how the three candidates for hosting the finals compare:

No one is going to let up, but Camp Nou seems to be the weakest candidate. That's because it's conceivable that the country left out of the final will get the opening match. It is hard to imagine the Bernabéu getting neither the final nor the opening match, especially given the technological superiority of Los Blancos’ stadium over Blaugrana's one. The behind-the-scenes game between the federations is still going on, however, and all options are in play.