Rabat and Tangier will host Club World Cup matches, reports say

Casablanca may be Morocco’s most famous city, but it apparently won’t be hosting any matches.

Casablanca may be Morocco’s most famous city and is generally considered its cultural capital, but it apparently won’t be hosting any Club World Cup matches. According to various reports out of Morocco, the tournament will be played in Rabat and Tangier.

Interestingly, the Club World Cup also skipped Casablanca the previous times Morocco hosted the tournament in 2013 and 2014. One possible explanation is a desire to avoid playing in Wydad’s home stadium.

Whatever the reason, the stadiums in Rabat and Tangier are both reasonably large and relatively modern, while featuring a track around the pitch. Tangier’s Stade Ibn Batouta is the newer of the two stadiums, having opened in 2011. It has a capacity of 65,000 and has a natural grass pitch. Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium was built in 1983, was renovated in 2000 and hosted matches in 2013 Club World Cup. It seats 53,000 and also has natural grass.

Tangier is located in the northwest of Morocco and on the Strait of Gibraltar, while Rabat is a little farther down the Atlantic coast. Both cities have rich histories and are considered to be relatively safe for foreign travelers.