MOR THE MERRIER
World’s biggest football stadium with 115,000-capacity set to eclipse Man Utd’s 100,000-seat venue dream
A huge estimated cost for the project has been revealed
MANCHESTER UNITED's so-called 100,000-seater "Wembley of the North" proposal is set to be eclipsed by a remarkable new project in Morocco.
While there has been much excitement generated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans for the Red Devils, it looks set to pale in comparison to what's happening in north Africa.
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The designers behind Tottenham's state-of-the-art ground - Populous - have been drafted in by the Atlas Lions to design a breathtaking stadium for the 2030 World Cup.
Dubbed the Grand Stade de Casablanca, the project is expected to result in the largest stadium in world football with a jaw-dropping capacity of 115,000.
Morocco are hosting the 2030 tournament with Spain and Portugal, and it is hoped it will pressure Fifa on where to host the final.
The Santiago Bernabeu and the Nou Camp are also in the running to host the final, with the former having recently been revamped and the latter currently being rebuilt..
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The stadium in Morocco will also play host to two local teams following the World Cup.
Preparation work has already begun at a 100-hectare site 24 miles north of Casablanca in the town of El Mansouria near Benslimane Airport following the approval of public financing in October.
UK-based Populous are being joined on the project by Moroccan architecture firm Oualalou + Choi.
Their winning design is said to draw inspiration from a local custom known as a "moussem" - an annual social gathering involving more than 30 tribes from southern Morocco and other regions of Northwest Africa.
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Populous announced the design will see the stadium structure set under a grand, tented roof that emerges following a forested landscape around the ground.
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Company president Francois Clement said the project was a "cornerstone" for the development of Morocco's football infrastructure.
He said: "The stadium will be compliant with FIFA standards, allowing it to host the major games in the world’s most prestigious international competitions, including the World Cup 2030...
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"It will be an immense asset to the country, elevating Morocco to the highest global platform of sporting infrastructure development."
Plans for the stadium have been in the works for some time, with a development deal signed in 2018.
According to the highest estimated budget for the project is five billion Moroccan Dirham (£393million).
But given the scale of the project and the relative cost for Tottenham's ground, it is easy to speculate that the cost will soar above this.
Members of the consortium who selected Populous and Co have experience on projects such as Qatar's Lusail Sports Arena, the United Arab Emirates' Khalifa Stadium and Heathrow Airport.
Morocco put feelers out for a radical new stadium design all the way back in 2011 before another concept emerged in 2018 during bidding for the 2026 World Cup.
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