Update: 16 major stadium projects under construction and development around the world

1) Hassan II Stadium, Benslimane, Morocco

3D renders showing how the new Stade Hassan II near Casablanca in Morocco will look (Images: Populous and Oualalou + Choi)

Populous and Oualalou + Choi unveiled dramatic designs in July 2024 for a 115,000-seat stadium intended as Morocco’s flagship venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Engineering support comes from Maffeis Engineering, Rider Levett Bucknall and others. With design approvals progressing in early 2025, the project secured funding of approximately MAD 5.1 billion (circa US$520 million) from the state-owned Caisse de Depot et de Gestion (CDG). Earlier this summer, a joint venture between contractors Travaux Généraux de Construction de Casablanca (TGCC) and Société Générale des Travaux du Maroc (SGTM) won a $320 million deal for the next phase of work. SGTM already held a contract for early works on the project.

The facility will host major national team matches and high-profile tournament fixtures. Construction is estimated to take two to three years, aligning completion with the 2028–29 football season, just in time for final test events ahead of World Cup qualification.

2) Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia

Digital render of the planned new Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium in Saudi Arabia (Image: Populous)

Situated atop the 200m-high Tuwaiq escarpment outside Riyadh, this 45,000-seat stadium designed by Populous features a retractable roof and pitch, as well as expansive LED screens enabling seamless configuration for sports, entertainment and e-sports use.

Qiddiya Investment Co has awarded a US$1 billion contract to a Spanish consortium to build the project, made up of FCC Construction and Saudi Arabia’s Nesma & Partners. Crane firm Wolffkran signed a deal announced in May this year to provide a tower crane package for the project. A total of 21 tower cranes will be involved, operated by Wolffkran teams. The stadium is being built in advance of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, for which Saudi Arabia was declared the host nation in late 2024, after being the only bidder.

3) Burnham Park Stadium (Chicago Bears), Chicago, USA

Digital render of Chicago Bears’ proposed new Burnham Park stadium (Image courtesy of Chicago Bears)

The $4.7 billion new fixed-roof stadium for the Chicago Bears is being planned within Burnham Park on the city lakefront as a mixed-use hub integrating public recreation space. The Bears have earmarked approximately 70 % of funding privately, with public partnerships still under discussion. Groundbreaking is scheduled for summer 2025.

Initial site preparation has started; piling and substructure work are expected by early 2026. The stadium, projected to open in summer 2028, will feature around 65,000 seats with capacity expandable for large-scale events. The construction of the stadium itself is estimated to cost $3.2 billion, with $1.5 billion set aside for infrastructure. The new stadium will replace Soldier Field, built in the 1920s, which is now the smallest venue in the NFL.

4) New Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York, USA

A digital rendering of the new Buffalo Bills stadium (Image supplied by New York State)

Replacement work for the Buffalo Bills’ Orchard Park stadium continues under Gilbane | Turner and joint-venture partners. The project, which is now expected to cost $2.1 billion, up from its original budget of $1.4 billion, topped out in April this year. Construction has involved 22,000 pieces of steel and 46,000 cubic yards of foundation concrete. Work now continues on the roof and skin of the building, as well as internal fitout. The structure is designed to accommodate 62,000 seats, expandable for showpiece NFL games.

The project remains on track for a July 2026 opening in time for the NFL season.

In July, Buffalo Bills released drone footage of progress on the project, available here.

5) Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico

Rendering of the new Estadio de los Tigres in Mexico (Image: Populous)

Populous’s design for a 65,000-seat replacement stadium for Mexican soccer team Tigres UANL was first revealed in 2022. However, the project has since suffered delays. In September 2023, Samuel Alejandro Garca Sepúlveda, the governor of Nuevo León, announced the start of construction.

Originally, the stadium, costing around US$500 million, was due for completion in 2025. However, the timeline is understood to have slipped and the Liga MX team continues to play at its original stadium built in 1967. Nonetheless, the club and authorities are reported to remain committed to the project to build the new stadium.

6) New Nissan Stadium, Nashville, USA

Digital render of the New Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee (Image: Tennessee Titans)

Construction at the new Tennessee Titans stadium, which will have a capacity of 60,000, is on schedule to be completed in 2027. However, Tennessee Builders Alliance, made up of Turner, Aercom Hunt, Polk & Associates Construction, and ICF Builders & Consultants recently halted work after a noose was found on the site. The group condemned the act and said it was working to ensure every worker on the project understood that racism has no place on site. Its workers are now undergoing additional anti-bias training and a reward is on offer for information about the incident. 

Work has since resumed and a live construction cam shows that the stadium is partially built, with the steelwork in place for the upper tiers of seating in place. The project broke ground in 2024 and is being built using a hybrid steel-and-concrete structure to honour Nashville’s industrial past.

7) Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark, St. Petersburg, USA

A render of the interior of the the new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball, which now looks to be in jeopardy. (Image: Tampa Bay Rays)

The proposed $1.3 billion retractable-roof stadium in the Historic Gas Plant District is now in jeopardy. The Rays have been unable to play at their existing ball park, Tropicana Field, after its roof was damaged in Hurricane Milton. As a result, they moved to Hillsborough County, which led to the City of St. Petersburg, where the new ballpark would have been located, to delay the issuance of bonds related to stadium funding. The City Council is expected to dissolve the agreement, effectively killing the project.

In the interim, the Rays will still play the 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The team could reportedly be sold, opening up new options for the construction of a replacement ballpark.

Meanwhile, St. Petersburg officials aim have a replacement roof at Tropicana Field in place by December this year, followed by turf installation and interior work in time for Opening Day in April 2026.

8) Oakland Athletics Ballpark, Las Vegas, USA

A first rendering of the relocated Oakland Athletics stadium that is set to be built in Las Vegas, Nevada (Image: Oakland Athletics)

The Oakland Athletics have now broken ground on a $1.75 billion ballpark in Las Vegas, that will accommodate 33,000 fans. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and HNTB, the Athletics’ new venue features a signature pentagonal shell roof and the largest jumbotron screen in Major League Baseball (18,000 ft²). The project is currently on schedule for a spring 2028 opening.

A Mortenson | McCarthy joint venture was appointed to oversee all pre-construction activities on the project, including preconstruction estimating, scheduling and logistics planning, in 2023.

9) ‘EverBank’ Renovation, Jacksonville Jaguars, USA

Conceptual design for a new Jacksonville Jaguars stadium (Image: Jacksonville Jaguars)

A $1.4 billion renovation of the Jaguars’ stadium in Florida was approved in June 2024. The extensive works to the ballpark, which will see the team remain in the Jacksonville City-owned ballpark for 30 years, involve a partial roof cover, expanded and elevated concourses, corner openings to improve airflow, and a reflective outer coating to reduce interior heat. Hospitality options will also be upgraded.

Aecom Hunt and Barton Malow are leading the renovation, which will be phased around the existing stadium to avoid disrupting NFL seasons. The Jaguars plan to play at the stadium in 2026 and move to another venue in 2027 while works are completed in time for the 2028 season.

10) Camp Nou Renovation, Barcelona, Spain

Limak is leading the renovation of FC Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou (Image: FC Barcelona)

Turkish contractor Limak is progressively rebuilding the structure of Barcelona FC’s Camp Nou in phases. Two of the four original stands are expected to be completed in 2025, with the full capacity reaching 104,200 by the 2026–27 La Liga season.

A €1.5 billion deal covers seating expansion, concourse modernisation, hospitality zones and upgraded access provisions.

However, the team’s plans to return to the stadium this year have been delayed because an initial licence has not yet been granted because the scale of the works means that not all the conditions have been met. Barcelona, which has not played at Camp Nou since 2023, was scheduled to return at 50% capacity in August this year but is now not expected to return until September.

11) Hangzhou International Sports Centre, Hangzhou, China

A 3D render of how the new stadium at the Hangzhou International Sports Centre will look (Image: Zaha Hadid Architects)

Construction of the Hangzhou International Sports Centre in China is well underway. The venue, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and being constructed by China Construction Third Bureau.

The venue will consist of a main soccer stadium, an indoor arena for 18,000 spectators, and an indoor swimming complex with a 50-metre pool.

Construction work started in 2025, and the structural shell is on the way to completion, with interior fit-out due for 2026 ahead of completion in 2027. The stadium is set to cost CNY 2.9 billion (US$400 million). The overall complex will cost CNY 9.6 billion (US$1.3 billion).

12) Chicago Fire Stadium, The 78, Chicago, USA

Image courtesy Chicago Fire FC

Announced June 2025, this privately‑funded Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium will anchor the “The 78” mixed-use redevelopment south of downtown along the Chicago River. Designed by Gensler and financed by owner Joe Mansueto, the $650 million, 22,000-seat stadium will include 50 suites.

The stadium is being purpose-built for football (soccer) - Chicago Fire FC plays in the US’ MLS, the highest tier of competition in the country.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2026, pending permitting, with completion targeted for the 2028 MLS season. A general contractor has not yet been announced.

13) Cleveland Browns Domed Stadium, Brook Park, Ohio, USA

A digital rendering of how the Cleveland Browns’ new Huntingdon Bank Field at Brook Park near Cleveland, Ohio, would look (Image: Cleveland Browns/HSK)

NFL team the Cleveland Browns have moved a step closer to the construction of a new $2.4 billion stadium, after funding for the project was approved in the Ohio state budget plan.

The Browns unveiled plans last year for a new domed stadium with a retractable roof in Brook Park, a few miles to the southeast of downtown Cleveland.

The team has also retained the option for the renovation of its existing home at Huntingdon Bank Field, which is expected to cost at least $450 million. The lease on the site expires in 2028.

Cleveland Browns owner Haslam Sports Group bought the 176-acre site where the new stadium is planned in June.

The stadium would form part of a wider $3.6 billion mixed-use development including housing, hotels, office space and retail.

14) Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing, Queens, USA

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced an $800 million redevelopment of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, USA in May this year, including a complete modernisation of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the construction of a new player performance centre.

Described as a “top-to-bottom” transformation, the phased works will be delivered without disrupting play at the 2025 or 2026 editions of the US Open. Completion is scheduled ahead of the 2027 tournament. The investment, the largest in US Open history, will be entirely self-funded, with no use of public funds.

At the heart of the scheme is a major upgrade to Arthur Ashe Stadium, originally built in 1997. It will gain a new grand entrance, an additional 2,000 courtside seats, two new levels of luxury suites, and improved concourses, retail, and dining facilities.

The project also includes a $250 million, two-storey player performance centre. The facility will feature expanded fitness and warm-up areas, redesigned locker rooms with a “spa-like” feel, and enhanced indoor dining for athletes.

The announcement follows a previous $600 million investment completed in 2018, which included the new Louis Armstrong Stadium with a retractable roof.

15) Venice Stadium, Tessera (Bosco dello Sport), Italy

An internal view of the planned new stadium in Venice, Italy (Image: Populous)

Sports venue architecture specialist Populous unveiled the design for a new €333.8 million stadium in Venice, Italy in April this year.

Maffeis Engineering and Populous were commissioned for the design and engineering work on the stadium by the consortium building the project: Costruzioni Bordignon, Fincantieri Infrastrutture and Ranzato Impianti. Those firms won the contract for the stadium in March 2024.

The 18,500-seater stadium will be part of a sports masterplan in Tessera, in the new Bosco dello Sport – a multifunctional, 116-hectare hub in the northern part of the city. Construction is due to start in 2026.

16) Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal

A digital render of how Benfica’s expanded Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, could look (Image courtesy of Populous)

Portuguese football (soccer) club Benfica has unveiled a €200 million masterplan to renovate and expand its Estádio da Luz stadium and surrounding precinct in Lisbon, Portugal. The project has been designed by architecture firm Populous alongside local partner Saraiva + Associados.

The scheme does not involve building a new stadium but focuses on modernising the existing facility, increasing its capacity, and delivering new fan and community infrastructure. The stadium, originally completed in 2003 for the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament, will retain its current bowl structure, while the wider campus is to be reimagined as a multi-use, year-round destination known as the “Benfica District”.

The planned works include a redesigned exterior façade featuring programmable LED lighting, and new shading on the concourses for improved comfort. A major addition will be a new fourth level on the stadium’s exterior, offering 6,800 square metres of space for club offices, hospitality, retail and other commercial uses. 

A new fan plaza modelled on Lisbon’s civic squares will sit in front of the main entrance, capable of accommodating up to 10,000 people. The existing statue of club legend Eusébio will be repositioned at the heart of this new public space.

Outside the stadium, the project will deliver a number of new facilities, including a 10,000-seat indoor arena for concerts, esports and sporting events, two smaller sports halls, a rooftop football pitch and running track, a swimming pool and a 500-seat theatre. Construction could start in 2027, according to reports.