Egypt built the pyramids; in 2024 it opened a stadium crowned like a queen. Misr Stadium — Arabic for “Egypt Stadium,” and also known as the New Capital Stadium — is the centerpiece of the Egypt International Olympic City in the country’s New Administrative Capital, east of Cairo. With a capacity of 93,940 it is the largest stadium in Egypt and the second largest in Africa, and it vaulted straight onto the list of the largest stadiums in the world the day it opened.
Key Stats
| Capacity | 93,940 |
| Opened | March 22, 2024 (inaugural match: Egypt 1–0 New Zealand) |
| Primary use | Football (Egypt national team) and athletics |
| Location | New Administrative Capital, Egypt |
A Stadium Fit for an Olympic Bid
Construction began in 2019 as part of the Egypt International Olympic City, a vast sports complex under development since 2015 in the New Administrative Capital. The project was designed by Italian firms SHESA Architects and MJW Structures in partnership with Cosmos-E — a team whose engineers had previously worked on Juventus Stadium in Turin — with Orascom Construction as main contractor. The complex around the stadium includes training grounds, two indoor halls (one a 15,000-seat arena), and an Olympic-size swimming pool, all built with an eye toward future Egyptian bids for the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup.
The design is unmistakably Egyptian: the stadium sits on an elliptical plan, and its crown-like roof is stylistically based on the headdress and royal necklace of Queen Nefertiti. A running track rings the pitch, keeping the venue ready for major athletics events as well as football.
Opening Night and Early History
The stadium was structurally complete by late 2023 and hosted the Egypt national team’s training camp ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Its formal inauguration came on March 22, 2024, when Egypt beat New Zealand 1–0 in the opening match of the 2024 ACUD Cup, a friendly tournament staged as part of the first FIFA Series. In one evening, Egypt’s footballing center of gravity gained a new pole: a national stage bigger than Cairo International Stadium and second on the continent only to Johannesburg’s 94,736-seat FNB Stadium.
What Misr Stadium Means for Egyptian Sport
For decades, Egypt’s biggest matches split time between Cairo International Stadium and Borg El Arab Stadium outside Alexandria. Misr Stadium changes that calculus. Purpose-built to international specifications inside a full Olympic complex, it gives the most decorated national team in Africa — a record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles — a modern flagship, and gives the New Administrative Capital a landmark to anchor its skyline of superlatives. If Egypt’s Olympic or World Cup ambitions materialize, this bowl will be their stage.
FAQ
How big is Misr Stadium?
Misr Stadium holds 93,940 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Egypt and the second largest in Africa after FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. It ranks among the world’s largest stadiums.
When did Misr Stadium open?
It was inaugurated on March 22, 2024, with a friendly in which Egypt defeated New Zealand 1–0 — the opening fixture of the 2024 ACUD Cup, part of the first FIFA Series.
Why is the roof shaped like a crown?
The roof design is modeled on the headdress and royal necklace of the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti — a deliberate nod to the country’s heritage at the heart of its brand-new capital.
Photo: Crosskimo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)