Casablanca’s record-capacity Hassan II stadium targets 2030 World Cup final | OneFootball

Casablanca is racing to build the Hassan II, a 115,000-capacity arena Morocco wants to position for the 2030 World Cup final, rivalling the Bernabéu and Camp Nou.

El Periódico Mediterráneo reports that about 5,000 workers are on site, rising to 10,000, running three eight-hour shifts to keep construction moving 24 hours a day. The target is December 2027, eight months early.

Lead architect Tarik Oualalou casts it as a national hub for hospitality as much as a stadium. The design blends Moroccan identity with a tent-inspired approach and spaces evoking sea, forest and desert.

The bowl will sit beneath an independent canopy planned to reach 550 metres. Inside, a suspended screen of about 700 square metres will encircle the arena, in what Oualalou says pushes boundaries.

Seating will prioritise about 100,000 general seats, plus 9,000 VIP and 3,000 media, with hospitality on every level. The venue adds 3,000 cameras and 200 drones, built to FIFA requirements yet adaptable beyond 2030.

The approximately $1,000 million scheme has impressed FIFA. It will anchor a new district with motorway links, a planned fast-line station and underground parking to protect nearby woodland and enhance security.

After 10 months, about 40% of seating is complete, with roughly 9,000 tonnes of steel planned. The wider complex will include basketball courts, a swimming pool and facilities for other sports.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo