Morocco has positioned football at the center of its economic development strategy, preparing to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and co-organize the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain. The kingdom’s sporting achievements include reaching World Cup semi-finals as the first African nation and capturing the under-20 world championship title.
Geopolitics of sport specialist Jean-Baptiste Guégan told Jeune Afrique magazine that Morocco executes an undeniably winning strategy, though AFCON organization will face close scrutiny as a dress rehearsal before 2030. “This positions Morocco as host of the two largest continental football events in Africa and beyond. The kingdom has become a stronghold for organizing international-stature events,” he explained.
Guégan highlighted the pivotal role of Fouzi Lekjaâ, Royal Moroccan Football Federation president and deputy budget minister who serves as CAF vice-president and FIFA Council member. Morocco’s ambitious sports diplomacy policy, driven by King Mohammed VI, transformed the country into Africa’s leading football power within a decade, Jeune Afrique commented.
The 2025 AFCON presents primarily organizational challenges. Success depends on effectively welcoming teams, tourists, sponsors, partners, officials, and media. A successful tournament should generate approximately 1.5 billion dirhams in additional tourism revenue, excluding broader impacts on the kingdom’s image and infrastructure showcase.
The 2030 World Cup represents an even more ambitious undertaking, with elevated FIFA standards and estimated investments of five billion dollars for Morocco’s portion. The government describes this co-organization as a strategic transformation accelerator for the country.
However, Guégan notes social tensions surrounding these events. “Football victories don’t fill stomachs. The question arises facing youth unemployment figures and career prospects,” he stated. AFCON success will depend equally on organization quality and capacity to unite youth while strengthening Moroccan nation branding.
Morocco faces competition as other African nations including Rwanda, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Africa pursue sports diplomacy strategies. This prominence also generates jealousies and exposes Morocco to potential destabilization attempts.
