Stade de Fès – design description

What does Fez Stadium look like?

Construction of Fez Stadium began in 1994, although it did not open until 2007. The facility was built on the southeastern outskirts of the city. The stadium is equipped with an athletics track and stands that can accommodate 35,000 spectators. On a day-to-day basis, the stadium is hosted by two football clubs, Maghreb Association Sportive (MAS) and Wydad Athletic de Fès (WAF).

The stadium was part of Morocco's bid to host several World Cups. Its solid reconstruction was already being prepared for the 2026 World Cup, but Morocco lost the battle to host it to the joint candidacy of Canada, the United States and Mexico.

How did the expansion of Fez Stadium come about?

Morocco decided to apply to host the next World Cup, in 2030, which was the country's sixth attempt. Initially, Morocco wanted to compete on its own, but eventually joined the common initiative of Spain and Portugal.

This time the attempt was successful – on October 4, 2023 Spain, Portugal and Morocco were announced as the hosts of the tournament, in addition to three South American countries: Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, which are to host one game each.

Fez Stadium is one of the Moroccan venues to host the World Cup matches. The stadium is also expected to be one of the venues for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco was awarded to host on September 27, 2023.

In October 2023, the government signed an agreement with the public financial institution Caisse de dépôt et de gestion (CDG), providing financing for investment in stadiums being prepared for the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.

In the same month, it was announced that Fez Stadium would be closed for planned reconstruction for the upcoming major tournaments. The first work around the facility began in late 2023.

When will Fez Stadium be rebuilt?

The reconstruction of the Fez stadium is to be carried out in two phases. The first is to be completed in 2025, in order to prepare the facility for the Africa Cup of Nations. This tournament is to be followed by the second phase of the investment, which is expected to last until 2028.

A report on the reconstruction of Fez Stadium can be seen on a separate subpage

How will Fez Stadium change?

The reconstruction of the stadium is expected to include the removal of the athletics track, the lowering of the pitch, and the rebuilding of the stands, which will receive a football-specific layout and increase their capacity to 55,800 spectators. The stands will receive a new canopy, and the facility's appearance and details are to be reminiscent of Moroccan culture. In addition, an auxiliary building will be built just in front of the western stand.

The first official rendering of the stadium's possible appearance after the reconstruction did not appear until late July 2024, on the occasion of the publication of the Morocco, Spain and Portugal's offer to host the 2030 World Cup (bid book).