FIFA presented its intention to hold the opening game and the final of the 2030 World Cup at the popular Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s stadium, and Barcelona’s Camp Nou. The Grand Hassan II Stadium, an ambitious project to build the largest arena in the world in Morocco, is also a candidate to host one of these two World Cup matches.
Spain, Morocco and Portugal anchor the single bid to host the 2030 World Cup. The project lists 20 stadiums for the competition: 11 in Spain, 6 in Morocco and 3 in Portugal. FIFA’s minimum requirement for the World Cup is 14 arenas. Of the 20 stadiums, one is built and several will undergo renovations.
In addition to offering the Santiago Bernabéu and Camp Nou, Spain proposes to carry out extensive renovations of five other stadiums (La Coruña, Las Palmas, Málaga, Sevilla and Zaragoza). Five of the six stadiums presented by Morocco will host games at the 2025 African Cup of Nations. The three arenas in Portugal hosted games at the 2004 Euro Cup.
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The joint candidacy of Spain, Morocco and Portugal proposed 17 possible host cities: 9 in Spain, 6 in Morocco and 2 in Portugal. The project states that the journey between different locations does not exceed, in any case, 3 hours in duration.
The Santiago Bernabéu was built in 1947 and recently underwent a major renovation that included the installation of a retractable roof and a pitch that can be stored underground, allowing the space to be used for other purposes.
The Camp Nou dates back to 1957 and is undergoing major renovations that will increase its capacity to more than 100,000 spectators. The minimum required by FIFA for a World Cup opening or final stadium is 80,000 seats.
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The third candidate to host the first game or the final of the World Cup, the Grand Hassan II Stadium, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028. The expected capacity is 115 thousand fans. The stadium is located between Casablanca and Rabat.
