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Grand Stade Hassan II: What We Know About Morocco’s 115,000-Seat World Cup Stadium

A large football stadium under construction at sunset

Grand Stade Hassan II, under construction in El Mansouria, in Benslimane province about 38 kilometers north of Casablanca, is designed to hold 115,000 spectators, which would make it one of the largest football stadiums in the world. It is central to Morocco’s role as co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, together with Spain and Portugal.

Where construction stands

Reports published in July 2026, based on visits to the site, said the stadium was about 30% complete nine months after construction began, with around 40% of its stands already built. Builders were reported to be working around the clock.

Cost and schedule

In June 2025, a joint venture of Moroccan contractors TGCC and SGTM was awarded a $320 million contract for the next stage of works, with a duration of 30 months. The state-owned fund CDG signed a financing deal worth about $500 million. Official completion is expected by 2028, although one report cited an ambition to finish by the end of 2027. Cost estimates in the media vary, from around 5 billion dirhams to about $1 billion, depending on what is counted.

The race for the final

FIFA has not yet decided where the 2030 final will be played. Spanish venues, such as Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu, were long seen as the favorites, and the speed of work in Morocco has pushed the Casablanca stadium into the discussion.

Morocco’s six World Cup venues

  • Casablanca: Grand Stade Hassan II, 115,000 seats
  • Tangier: Grand Stadium, 75,600
  • Marrakech: Marrakech Stadium, 70,000
  • Rabat: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, 68,700
  • Fez: Grand Stadium, 55,800
  • Agadir: Grand Stadium, 46,000

Capacities come from figures reported by Spanish newspaper Marca in 2025 and may change as renovation works are completed. Several of these stadiums were also upgraded for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Sources: AfricaSoccer, MEED, Yanko Design, Morocco World News.


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