Tangier Provides the Largest Stadiums for the Morocco CAN

The newly renovated Tangier Grand Stadium, recently reopened after comprehensive expansion works that brought it up to "FIFA 2030" standards, is the largest stadium for the Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

This sports facility, with a seating capacity exceeding 75,000 spectators, is fully prepared to welcome African fans for six matches; including three group stage matches and three knockout stage matches, among them a semi-final.

Indeed, the stadium can accommodate 75,500 spectators under very ideal conditions. The seats, colored white and blue in line with Tangier’s visual identity, are distributed across three tiers of stands, covering the lower, middle, and upper sections of the stadium, in addition to a special hospitality box and a set of VIP and VVIP lounges with direct views of the pitch.

The main hospitality box can host up to 210 guests, while the stands designated for VIPs have a capacity of 1,300 spectators, besides the arrangement of 142 suites, each with a capacity ranging from 10 to 20 seats.

One of the important features of the Tangier Grand Stadium is its hybrid natural turf, equipped with advanced technology that combines natural grass and synthetic fibers to provide an ideal surface in terms of drainage, durability, rapid recovery of turf quality, performance, sustainability, and player safety.

Various types of grass grown in Tangier were used, including species that thrive in summer and others that grow in winter, some requiring shade and others needing good lighting. These were installed on the pitch and integrated with synthetic fibers to enhance durability and maintain color.

This technology allows the stadium to maintain a playable surface for matches scheduled close together, as it ensures rapid grass recovery throughout the year. The stadium also features an advanced dual-direction water suction system that can drain excess water during rainfall and irrigate the grass during dry periods.

This sports facility places special emphasis on player comfort, as the Tangier Grand Stadium uniquely offers four changing rooms for teams instead of the usual two mandated by regulations. It also includes recovery areas after play, physical therapy and cryotherapy rooms, warm-up rooms equipped with exercise machines, offices for coaches and referees, and a mixed zone exceeding 500 square meters.

These facilities provide luxury for players both before and after matches by offering optimal conditions for physical warm-up, fatigue relief during halftime or post-match, and initial medical interventions.

As a next-generation stadium with advanced technologies, it is equipped with an interactive lighting system that complies with FIFA’s requirements for international television broadcasting. This ensures high-quality TV coverage during evening and night matches, alongside colored lights that add special aesthetics to the stadium and its surroundings.

Two giant screens, each covering 220 square meters, have been installed, along with a perimeter screen over 700 meters long and a high-quality sound system. Technical rooms manage the technical facades and the giant and perimeter screens. Additionally, two extra perimeter screens have been installed at pitch level.

Located in the city between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the stadium features a wavy roof considered the second largest roof span in the world after Brazil’s Maracanã Stadium. It extends 85 meters from the perimeter to the center and covers an upper and side area of 55,000 square meters.

The metal structure, roof, and cladding were installed in record time thanks to Moroccan engineering and contractors, using mixed technologies that take into account Tangier’s climatic conditions, especially the frequent winds throughout the year. This technology relies on metal structures and cables and a special transparent fabric cladding resistant to wind and water.

Certainly, fans of Senegal, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, who will play their knockout stage matches in Tangier, will experience an unforgettable event at the largest stadium of CAN 2025 in Morocco. This sports infrastructure will allow fans and players to witness matches meeting global standards, both in terms of playing conditions and the atmosphere of viewing.