Morocco has taken a major step forward in its preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup™. It has awarded a $320 million construction contract to a domestic consortium. This is for the second phase of the Sidi Slimane Grand Stadium. The stadium is a centrepiece of the country’s bold infrastructure strategy.

The winning bid was submitted by Casablanca-based construction leaders TGCC and SGTM. They were the only consortium to meet both the technical and financial requirements, according to Morocco’s official public procurement platform.

The future stadium is located on a 100-hectare site near Benslimane. It is just north of Casablanca. It is set to seat 115,000 spectators. This will make it the largest football venue in Africa upon completion.

More than just a stadium, the project will serve as the heart of a sprawling sports city. It features a 25,000-seat athletics stadium and an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool. There are multipurpose arenas, luxury hotels, and a state-of-the-art conference centre.

The Benslimane complex is designed to rival premier European and American venues. It is envisioned as Morocco’s architectural and sporting statement to the world. This project is a showcase of ambition and capability.

Transport infrastructure is integral to the plan. The site will be directly linked to key highways serving Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech, with proximity to Mohammed VInternational Airport. Future integration with Al Boraq, Morocco’s high-speed rail network, is also being developed. A massive parking facility for over 10,000 vehicles will ensure ease of access for fans and visitors.

Construction is scheduled for completion in December 2027. This leaves ample time for testing and fine-tuning. These preparations are ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Morocco will co-host the event alongside Spain and Portugal.

The Sidi Slimane stadium is expected to be one of the tournament’s flagship venues. It will complement upgrades in Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Fes, and Agadir.

The project also underlines the government’s confidence in local expertise. TGCC and SGTM have extensive experience in executing large-scale infrastructure developments. They are now tasked with delivering a stadium that will stand among the world’s elite football arenas.

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Mexico City will embrace fans from all nations and cultures during the 2026 World Cup, Mayor Clara Brugada said on Wednesday as she unveiled the countdown clock marking one year to the tournament’s return to the Mexican capital.

As the city prepares to host the World Cup for the third time, Brugada stressed the importance of inclusion and openness, framing a contrast to anti-immigration measures in co-host nation the United States under President Donald Trump

“All football fans are welcome here. In this city, no one is a foreigner,” Brugada said at the FIFA event.

“We will joyfully welcome those who come from all corners of the globe, with their music, their colours, their languages and their passion. We think diversity is our greatest treasure.”

“Today is a very special day for Mexico City. We are exactly 365 days away from opening our doors to the world and hosting, for the third time, the opening of a World Cup, something that no other city on the planet has ever achieved.”

Addressing concerns from residents near the Azteca Stadium, Mayor Brugada assured them that they would benefit from over six billion pesos in investments aimed at upgrading public services and infrastructure.

“We will strengthen the rights of residents with more water, better public spaces and more services,” she said.

“We are therefore building a legacy, and that is something that fills us with pride. That is why we have made a historic investment in works, infrastructure, water, security and mobility.”

In addition, as part of the festivities leading up to the 2026 World Cup, more than 40 buildings and landmarks in Mexico City will be illuminated in green on Wednesday night.

-Reuters

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 U.S. cities hosting next year’s FIFA World Cup faced questions on Wednesday about how to reassure international fans concerned by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and travel ban as the year-to-go countdown began.

The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, is set to co-host the finals, which will feature 48 teams and a record 104 matches in a tournament that FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said would usher in a new generation of soccer fans.

Celebrities and soccer stars were due to walk the red carpet at the Fox Studio Lot in Los Angeles – one of the host cities – for the year-to-go event there, a day after President Trump deployed Marines and the National Guard to quell protests.

California Governor Gavin Newsom described the deployment as an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism,” while Trump officials defended it and branded the protests as lawless, blaming local and state Democrats for permitting upheaval.

Los Angeles is one of several host cities that will mark the year-to-go occasion, including New York-New Jersey, which will welcome fans at a waterside festival in Jersey City with the Statue of Liberty in view.

“If we look at (American) football as the U.S.’s sport, soccer is the world’s sport and this is an opportunity for us to welcome people from all over the world,” Alex Lasry, the New York-New Jersey host Committee CEO, told Reuters.

Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said FIFA needed to work with the U.S. government to ensure the rights of competitors, support staff, fans and media were protected regardless of their identities or views.

“FIFA should publicly acknowledge the threat US immigration and other anti-human rights policies pose to the tournament’s integrity … (and) should establish clear benchmarks and timelines for the US policy changes needed to ensure respect for immigrants’ rights during the 2026 World Cup and beyond,” she said.

U.S. Democratic leaders raised concerns over a national crisis on Tuesday as Trump moved U.S. Marines into Los Angeles to tackle civilian protests over his immigration policies.

“There are certainly things that are happening at the national level, the international level, there are going to be geopolitical issues that we don’t even know right now that are going to affect the tournament,” Meg Kane, a host city executive for Philadelphia told reporters at a Paley Center event on Monday.

“So we recognise that we’re planning within uncertainty.”

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

INFANTINO CONFIDENT

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last month after meeting Trump that he was confident the world would be welcomed in for the 2026 World Cup and this year’s Club World Cup, which runs from June 14 to July 13.

But the task of reassuring international fans was complicated by a travel ban that went into effect on Monday, cracking down on what Trump called “foreign terrorists”.

Of the 12 countries facing travel bans, Iran is the only one that has qualified for the 2026 tournament so far. Tehran said on Saturday that the ban showed “deep hostility” toward Iranians and Muslims.

European fans, supporter groups and former players contacted by Reuters said it was too early for anyone to be thinking about revising schedules or reevaluating plans for attending the World Cup.

Alina Hudak, the Miami host committee president and CEO, told Reuters she had been in touch with the local consular corps to address their concerns and to offer support.

“My responsibility is to make sure that we’re ready, that we’re safe, that we’re coordinating logistically with all of our law enforcement agencies, that we’ve done everything we can to ensure that our mass transit system is ready and can handle the volume,” said Hudak.

“And so for me, you know, what’s happening outside of that is something that we’re monitoring, but not something that, quite frankly, I have an impact (on).”

-Reuters

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