The Ibn Batouta Stadium or Grand stade of Tangier (Arabic: ملعب ابن بطوطة; Berber languages: ⴰⵏⵏⴰⵔ ⵏ ⵉⴱⵏ ⴱⴰⵜⵓⵜⴰ) is a multi-use stadium in Tangier, Morocco. It is used mostly for football matches and big events such as ceremonies or concerts. The stadium now has a legal capacity of 65,000 after renovation construction finished for hosting the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup. It serves as the new home of IR Tanger, replacing the former Stade de Marchan. The stadium is named after the Moroccan scholar and explorer Ibn Battuta.
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| Full name | Stade Ibn Battuta |
|---|---|
| Location | Tangier, Morocco |
| Operator | Sonarges |
| Capacity | 65,000 |
| Field size | 108 × 71 m |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | September 2002 |
| Opened | April 26, 2011 |
| Construction cost | €80 million |
| Architect | Jawad Khattabi |
| Tenants | |
| Ittihad Tanger (2011–present) Morocco national football team (selected matches) | |
History
The inaugural match was played on 26 April 2011 between IR Tanger and Atlético Madrid B and it followed by a match betwwen Raja CA and Atlético Madrid.[1] On July 27, the stadium hosted the 2011 Trophée des champions, in which Marseille beat Lille 5–4.[2]
When Morocco hosted the 2011 African U-23 Championship the stadium hosted six matches in the Group stage and one in the Semi-finals.
The Stade Ibn Battuta was one of the confirmed host stadiums for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, which was to be hosted by Morocco until it was stripped of its hosting rights.[3]
The stadium hosted the 2017 Trophée des Champions for the second time on July 29, in which Paris Saint-Germain beat Monaco 2–1.[4][5]
When Morocco hosted the 2018 African Nations Championship the stadium hosted six matches in the Group stage and one in the Quarter-finals.
It hosted the 2018 Supercopa de España match between the Copa del Rey runners-up, Sevilla, and the winners of the 2017–18 Copa del Rey and 2017–18 La Liga, Barcelona, in which Barcelona beat Sevilla 2–1[6][7]
It was one of the venues in Morocco's failed bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was slated to host the Quarter-Finals if Morocco had been awarded the World Cup.
It experienced a renovation to increase its capacity and change the exterior to host the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup. It was planned that the capacity will increase from 44,500 seats[8] to 65,000.[9] On 25 January 2023, it was confirmed that the stadium is ready to host the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup.[10]
There are current studies to change the exterior of the stadium by making it fully covered, and removing the running tracks to increase its capacity to 80,000 before 2025 in conjunction with possibly hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup 2030, according to Abdelmalek Abron, a member of the FRMF and head of the Infrastructure Committee of the football system in Morocco.[11]
International events
2022 FIFA Club World Cup
| Date | Local time | Team No. 1 | Result | Team No. 2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 February 2023 | 20:00 |  Al Ahly | 3–0 |  Auckland City | First round | 47,317 |
| 4 February 2023 | 18:30 |  Seattle Sounders FC | 0–1 | Al Ahly | Second round | 30,589 |
| 7 February 2023 | 20:30 |  Flamengo | 2–3 |  Al-Hilal | Semi-finals | 42,496 |
| 11 February 2023 | 16:30 | Al Ahly | 2–4 | Flamengo | Third place match | 30,216 |
International matches for Morocco national football team
Burkina Faso| 14 August 2013 Friendly | Morocco  | 1–2 | Burkina Faso | Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tanger |
| 20:00 UTC+1 | Barrada  64' | Report | Referee: Malang Diedhiou (Senegal) [1] |
Congo| 27 May 2016 Friendly | Morocco | 2–0 | Congo | Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier |
| 19:00 UTC+1 | Ziyech 4', 55' (pen.) | Report | Referee: Issa Sy (Senegal) |
Argentina| 26 March 2019 Friendly | Morocco | 0–1 | Argentina | Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier |
| 20:00 (UTC+1) | Report | Correa 83' | Attendance: 35.000 [2] Referee: Janny Sikazwe (Zambia) |
See also
External links
References
