Grand Stade Hassan II – construction description

Plans to build a new, representative stadium for Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, had been in the making since the end of the 20th century, especially with consecutive unsuccessful attempts to win the right to host the World Cup.

The real breakthrough came in October 2023, when Morocco, along with Spain and Portugal, was chosen to host the 2030 World Cup. The Moroccans wanted to seize the opportunity and set their sights on an even more ambitious project than anything presented so far.

The new Grand Stade Hassan II is expected to be truly impressive. A huge conical roof, inspired by the traditional tents of the moussem festival and the mountainous landscape of Morocco, will give the facility a unique character.

The stands will hold as many as 115,000 spectators, making it the largest football stadium in the world. Behind the goals, two huge single-level stands will be created, where fanatical supporters of Wydad AC and Raja CA will gather during the legendary Casablanca derby.

With its gigantic capacity, the venue will become a de facto national stadium, regularly hosting national team matches. The enormous momentum makes the Moroccans even hope to host the 2030 World Cup final, but they will face stiff competition from the Bernabéu and Camp Nou.

Although the stadium was planned with Casablanca in mind, its location – some 40 kilometers away from the center – may be controversial. However, efficient access is to be ensured by new road and rail links, including a high-speed rail line.

The stadium will be named after Hasan II, king of Morocco from 1961 to 1999, and is to be part of a larger sports and entertainment complex covering 100 hectares.

The first ground works began in late August 2024, and the stadium should be ready by the end of 2028 at the latest. Its construction is expected to cost 5 billion dirhams.

More details about the Grand Stade Hassan II project can be found on a separate subpage