Hassan II Stadium (Arabic: ملعب الحسن الثاني) is a planned football stadium to be built in Benslimane, just east of Casablanca. Once completed in 2028, it will be used mostly for football matches and will serve as the home of the Morocco national football team. The stadium is planned to have a capacity of 115,000 spectators, making it the largest football stadium in the world. It will also replace Stade Mohammed V as the home stadium of Morocco's largest clubs Raja CA and Wydad AC.
 Planned design of the stadium | |
 | |
| Location | Benslimane, Morocco |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°40′37″N 7°15′51″W / 33.677078°N 7.264134°W |
| Owner | Morocco national football team |
| Operator | SONARGES |
| Capacity | 115,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 2028 (planned) |
| Construction cost | MAD5 billion US$490 million |
| Architect | Oualalou + Choi Populous |
| Tenants | |
| Morocco national football team Raja CA Wydad AC | |
The initial project was planned for the World Cup in 2010, for which Morocco lost their bid to South Africa. It included five major stadiums across the country, including Ibn Batouta Stadium, the Marrakesh Stadium and two more in the cities of Agadir and Fez. Years after, it was one of the fourteen host venues for Morocco's bid to host the 2026 World Cup and would have staged the opening and final matches but the United bid of Canada, Mexico and the United States was voted. Its construction was finally confirmed in October 2023 after the announcement of Morocco's hosting of the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal. The Stadium is named after Hassan II of Morocco.
History
editInitial project
editOver the years, there have been persistent rumors surrounding the construction of a new stadium and its anticipated completion timing. These speculations gained momentum, particularly after Stade Mohammed V suffered damages from multiple games of its tenants Raja CA and Wydad AC. These two teams have a significant stake in African interclub competitions and domestic tournaments.
The initial project was planned for the World Cup in 2010, for which Morocco lost their bid to South Africa by 4 votes with 14–10. It included five major stadiums across the country, including Ibn Batouta Stadium, the Marrakesh Stadium and two more in the major cities of Agadir and Fez. Years after, it was one of the 14 stadiums included in Morocco's bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which included the construction of two new stadiums in Casablanca. However, on June 13, 2018, in Moscow, 203 FIFA member federations voted for the United bid of Canada, Mexico and the United States, with 134 votes against 65 for Morocco.[1][2]
Construction
editThe situation took a new turn after the historic qualification of the Morocco national football team for the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This achievement prompted the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to take the lead in hosting major football events, such as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Furthermore, a promising collaboration with Spain and Portugal has emerged as they jointly bid to host the 2030 World Cup.[3] This progress has reignited discussions about the long-desired construction of the Grand Stade de Casablanca, initially proposed for the 2010 and 2026 World Cups. These developments were further confirmed by Fouzi Lekjaa, the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, during a government meeting led by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch on 22 June 2023.[4] Fouzi presented the comprehensive details of the joint bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, emphasizing the central role of the stadium's construction in the bid.
On 20 October 2023, the government and the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion signed an agreement that allocates approximately 5 billion dirhams to the stadium construction over the period 2025 - 2028. It also launched the renovation of the other stadiums to host the 2025 AFCON and the 2030 World Cup. 9.5 billion dirhams will be mobilized to conform six stadiums to CAF standards in the 2023 - 2025 period. A second update will be then operated over the period 2025 - 2028, in compliance with FIFA standards for a budget ranging from 4.5 to 6 billion dirhams.[5][6]
On 28 October, during a press conference with his Spanish and Portuguese counterparts, Pedro Rocha and Fernando Gomes, the president of the FRMF Fouzi Lekjaa declared “The construction of the new Casablanca stadium will begin at the end of December and will take over two years”, before specifying that the stadium will be made available to Raja CA and Wydad AC.[7]
On 14 March 2024, a consortium led by local firm Tarik Oualalou Architecte (Oualalou + Choi), and including Populous was selected during a design competition for the Grand Stade de Casablanca.[8][9][10][11]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Foot : le trio Etats-Unis/Canada/Mexique organisera le Mondial-2026 (Fifa)". Lesechos.fr (in French). 2018-06-13. Archived from the original on 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2018-06-13..
- ^ "Le trio Etats-Unis-Mexique-Canada organisera le Mondial 2026". www.20minutes.fr (in French). 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ "2030 World Cup: Spain and Portugal announce bid to be joint hosts". BBC News. 4 June 2021.
- ^ "Akhannouch chairs inaugural meeting to discuss Morocco's bid for 2030 World Cup". en.hespress.com. hespress.com. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "CAN 2025/Mondial 2030: Signature d'une convention de partenariat entre le gouvernement et la CDG pour la mise à niveau de 6 stades de football et la construction d'un nouveau stade". Maroc.ma (in French). 2023-10-20. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ Kenza Khatla (20 October 2023). "14,5 milliards DH pour la remise à niveau de 6 stades et la construction du grand stade de Casablanca". medias24.com (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Maroc: l'annonce de Lekjaa sur le grand stade". www.afrik-foot.com (in French). 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ "Consortium selected for delivery of Grand Stade de Casablanca". www.thestadiumbusiness.com. 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Grand stade de Casablanca: focus sur le groupement qui a remporté le concours architecural". www.medias24.com (in French). 17 March 2024.
- ^ "Populous and Oualalou + Choi Win Global Architectural Design Competition for Morocco's Grand Stade de Casablanca". www.populous.com/. 20 March 2024.
- ^ "Morocco: Largest World Cup 2030 stadium will be designed by prestigious firm". StadiumDB.com. 27 March 2024.
