For the first time since 1988, Morocco is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations. From December 21 to January 18, an unprecedented edition will take place, in a demanding social context, at the crossroads of sport, soft power, and the kingdom’s global ambitions. A competition serving as a full-scale dress rehearsal ahead of the 2030 World Cup. Quite a program!
A historic rendezvous
From December 21 to January 18, 2026, Morocco will host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), an event it has not organized since 1988. That was a distant era, marked by the triumph of Cameroon’s great team, the Indomitable Lions. AFCON is returning to a kingdom that has since undergone profound economic, social, and political transformation—and one that has invested heavily in infrastructure, stadiums, and road networks. With AFCON 2025, Morocco is clearly stepping into a new dimension.
In Morocco, teams will compete in the 35th edition of the tournament. Despite obstacles and difficulties—particularly financial and logistical challenges—along with calendar disruptions and format changes, this continental competition has endured and continues to captivate supporters. In 1957, at the first AFCON in Khartoum, only three countries competed: Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The format gradually expanded, with qualifiers becoming a fixture of the calendar. In 1998, the tournament moved to 16 teams, then to 24 teams for AFCON 2019 in Egypt. In Morocco, 24 teams will again compete, across 57 matches, in six host cities and nine stadiums. In short, a truly continental affair—and a spectacle that now mobilizes television audiences worldwide. Hence the stakes for the host country, both in terms of sporting performance and soft power. For Rabat, the goal is certainly to win the trophy, but also to project an image of stability and efficiency, and to assert continental leadership.
A matter of dates and climate
Climate and scheduling regularly fuel controversy around AFCON. Africa is a vast continent—far larger than the Mercator projection suggests—with major climatic variations. What is certain is that in the north, June and July are too hot, while in the west and center, rainfall is heavy during the same period. After many back-and-forth calendar changes, AFCON now seems to have settled around January and February—much to the displeasure of European clubs, which resent losing African players to international competition in mid-season.
The unprecedented calendar for this 35th edition will also spark debate. Morocco’s AFCON has been reshuffled due to the 2025 Club World Cup (United States, June–July 2025), calendar congestion, and climatic constraints. The tournament will therefore be played in “winter,” as planned, but straddling the year-end holidays—from December 21 to January 18. A first of its kind, disrupting habits, further unsettling European clubs (and their players’ holidays), and imposing more complex management of tourist flows for Morocco.
A dress rehearsal before the 2030 World Cup
This AFCON will have a unique significance. It is both a major event in its own right and a genuine dress rehearsal ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. In five years’ time, for the first time in its history, the kingdom will be at the heart of a global sporting event requiring top-tier technical, logistical, and security standards. AFCON will serve as a near-real World Cup stress test. Morocco will need to absorb tens of thousands of supporters, manage multiple host cities and dozens of matches, ensure urban mobility and travel, and guarantee security levels in line with FIFA requirements. Accommodation capacity, public service efficiency, and the scaling up of digital tools—from the Yalla app to centralized ticketing and connected identification systems—will also be tested.
The tournament will further test institutional cooperation with Europe, as co-hosting the World Cup requires new forms of coordination between Moroccan administrations, Spanish and Portuguese partners, and international football bodies.
The objective is to strengthen Morocco’s image as a country ready to move into a new sporting and geopolitical category—among the few capable of hosting events of global magnitude. AFCON, and even more so the 2030 World Cup, therefore represent major challenges. The project is directly overseen by King Mohammed VI and the Royal Palace. Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Football Federation and Minister Delegate for the Budget, is leading logistics and relations with CAF and FIFA. Decision-making is tightly centralized. The goal is clear: succeed today with AFCON, and tomorrow with the World Cup.
A major infrastructural and territorial gamble
AFCON 2025 is part of a large-scale territorial transformation initiated well before the tournament was awarded, and now accelerated by the prospect of the 2030 World Cup. The host cities—Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Fez, and Agadir—have benefited from massive investments to modernize stadiums, strengthen transport networks, streamline airport access, and improve supporter reception. More than 36 billion dirhams have already been committed, with nearly 120 construction projects launched, including a specific agreement allocating 9.5 billion dirhams to upgrading sports venues by 2025.
These investments follow a clear logic: making AFCON a lasting legacy rather than a fleeting event. The aim is to durably reshape mobility, economic attractiveness, and connectivity between the country’s major hubs. Authorities see the tournament as a catalyst for hospitality, tourism, urban services, and related industries, as well as a means to reposition certain Moroccan metropolises as true Mediterranean and African crossroads.
This momentum will continue beyond AFCON, with a second, equally strategic phase planned to support Morocco’s ascent toward hosting the 2030 World Cup, requiring continuous upgrading of human capacity and technical standards.
At the heart of this national effort lies a flagship project: the construction of the Hassan II Stadium between Casablanca and Rabat, in Benslimane, designed to host nearly 115,000 spectators and become one of the largest and most modern stadiums in the world. Intended as the epicenter of Morocco’s World Cup setup, this project symbolizes the country’s change of scale and its ambition to truly enter the circle of major global “host nations.”
A major challenge in a complex social context
AFCON will take place in a Morocco shaped by internal and external dynamics that give the tournament significance far beyond sport alone. Large-scale demonstrations by Generation Z in September and October, under the GenZ212 movement, showed that part of Moroccan youth is now expressing itself with new freedom—both in the streets and online—questioning institutions and governance, and demanding greater alignment between official discourse and social reality. The slogans were clear: education, healthcare, equality—and not necessarily grand stadiums.
The issue is sensitive. Ultimately, Moroccans will be proud to host AFCON and to support the national team, the Atlas Lions. But a purely sporting strategy will not suffice to meet the expectations of a “conscious generation.” Moreover, in Morocco, stadiums are not neutral spaces. Supporters of major local clubs are known for their defiant, sometimes overtly political chants, revealing football as a space for expression rather than mere entertainment. For full success, AFCON—and the World Cup—must be part of shared social progress.
In this context, a major development brought a strong sense of national pride and calm: the UN Security Council’s decision recognizing the validity of Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. This was seen as a historic diplomatic victory for the country, for King Mohammed VI, and for a public opinion largely united on what is perceived as an existential issue.
These factors intersect and redefine the framework of AFCON: a combination of sporting ambition, generational demands, and geopolitical consolidation.
Stadiums, cities, atmosphere: a Moroccan geography
AFCON 2025 will also tell a Moroccan story through its geography. The country is vast and diverse, and each host city will bring its own style, rhythm, and culture—a true journey. In the north, Tangier, a crossroads between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by its giant port and a young, mobile population. Its proximity to Europe—visible on clear days—feeds an imaginary of openness and constant movement.
Further south, Casablanca, a constantly moving megacity of five million inhabitants, embodies contrasts and contradictions: Africa’s gateway, with new business districts like Casablanca Finance City and ambitious urban renewal projects, alongside persistent precarity for part of its population. Rabat, the capital, will offer a more institutional atmosphere—a polished city of diplomats, fine homes, and cultural and educational centers such as the Mohammed VI Museum.
Marrakech, famous, fragile, and festive, a global tourism hub, will provide a different backdrop at the foot of the majestic Atlas Mountains. Fez draws on a deeper, more conservative identity, divided between the symbolic strength of its millennial medina and the harsh realities of life in its peripheral neighborhoods. Agadir, finally, extends the tournament toward the ocean, with a young, family-oriented, cosmopolitan public, rooted in a city open to horizons and vast spaces, especially toward the south of the kingdom.
In this traveling context, mobility will be essential—between cities and within them—especially with stadiums often embedded in the urban fabric.
After Côte d’Ivoire, added pressure
The 2023 edition in Côte d’Ivoire left a deep mark. Held from January 13 to February 11, the 34th AFCON was a historic turning point: a month of uninterrupted fervor, full stadiums, buzzing cities, and rarely seen popular enthusiasm—with no security issues. Côte d’Ivoire invested nearly 1,000 billion CFA francs (over €1.5 billion) to renovate and build stadiums and modernize infrastructure, aiming to deliver “the most beautiful AFCON.” Its West African location, close to neighboring qualified countries, allowed tens of thousands of supporters to attend matches easily—without major incidents or security failures, just perfectly channeled collective passion.
In collective memory, AFCON 2023 will also be remembered for the improbable resurrection of the national team, the Elephants. Written off after the group stage, Côte d’Ivoire was narrowly rescued as one of the best third-placed teams, then launched a triumphant run to the final, defeating Nigeria in a boiling stadium. President Alassane Ouattara could embrace and congratulate his players. Victory crowned the journey. That AFCON was a flamboyant saga and a logistical masterclass rarely matched on the continent. For Morocco, the benchmark is real: AFCON 2025 will have to be, equally, “the most beautiful AFCON.”
Security, visas, and access: digital modernization and tighter control
Security will naturally be central to Morocco’s concerns. Structures are in place in a country with a long tradition of centralized security. Police, gendarmerie, civil protection, and intelligence services are preparing, with each host city organized around an operational center capable of real-time adjustments. Morocco notably contributed intelligence and site protection expertise during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) uses advanced methods, including drones and canine units. Authorities work with Interpol and partners in the Stadia project, aimed at cooperation during major international sporting events.
Morocco wants to avoid heavy-handed displays of force. The goal is to secure, control, and maintain a smooth, friendly atmosphere, in a context where any incident can go viral worldwide within seconds.
Cybersecurity is now essential: monitoring false alerts, controlling networks, and protecting digital identification systems, especially those linked to the Yalla app. Presented as the competition’s central digital portal, the platform allows fans to create a “Fan ID,” access a specific e-visa, and receive real-time logistical information. It reflects Morocco’s desire to modernize access to its territory.
Perceptions are more complex regarding visas. Long open to African visitors, Morocco has gradually tightened controls, particularly over migration flows. The AFCON visa eases some procedures but does not remove all barriers. For a competition meant to symbolize continental unity, accessibility remains a delicate issue closely watched by African public opinion.
A festive program
While it is difficult to be precise before the event begins, Morocco knows how to host and how to celebrate—and it has ambition. Opening and closing ceremonies will likely be spectacular and “African,” under the banner of unity. Names mentioned include Gims (a Marrakech resident) and RedOne, a Moroccan native, for the soundtrack. VIPs, friends of Morocco, stars, political and cultural figures, and influencers from around the world are expected, as well as several African heads of state supporting their teams. Numerous local and parallel events are also anticipated from a country with a strong tradition of event organization. Throughout AFCON, Morocco will likely be where the action is.
What now matters most is the popular celebration: fan zones and strong stadium attendance. Current indicators are reassuring. The Yalla app is running at full capacity. Nearly 300,000 tickets had been sold at the time of writing, while by mid-November the opening match, semifinals, final, and Morocco’s matches were sold out, with fans scrambling to anticipate possible round-of-16 and quarterfinal lineups.
Football at last: favorites, outsiders, and open questions
With 24 teams, a compressed schedule, and matches played in the heart of the European season, AFCON 2025 promises to be a high-tension tournament where intensity meets unpredictability in every match. Traditional powers—Morocco, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria—arrive determined to live up to expectations.
But a December–January AFCON can upset hierarchies: players mid-season with clubs, disputed call-ups, last-minute injuries, shifting squads, and inconsistent form. Sportingly, Morocco enters with as much pressure and promise as uncertainty. The injury and recovery of national hero Achraf Hakimi complicate coach Walid Regragui’s tactical puzzle. The Atlas Lions delivered an extraordinary run at the 2022 World Cup, becoming the first African semifinalist in history. Yet they are also marked by an early exit in Côte d’Ivoire—a stark reminder that reputation counts for little at AFCON, a competition demanding intensity and humility. Still, the team believes, and players like Nayef Aguerd, Azzedine Ounahi, Youssef En-Nesyri, Sofyan Amrabat, and Ez Abde form a particularly ambitious generation.
Defending champions Côte d’Ivoire return with talent and a strong collective led by Simon Adingra and a rock-solid defense. The Elephants conceded no goals in qualifiers for the upcoming World Cup and will defend their title fiercely. Senegal advances with the serenity of a team that knows its identity; for Sadio Mané and the Lions of Teranga, the goal is to reclaim the title won in 2021 in Cameroon. Nigeria boasts, on paper, the continent’s most impressive attacking arsenal. Victor Osimhen—a raw diamond capable of changing a match with one burst—will be joined by prolific talents like Ademola Lookman and Victor Boniface.
Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, remains a real threat—sometimes against the run of play, but always dangerous through discipline and resilience. Algeria hopes to turn the page after two disastrous AFCON campaigns. Mali continues its steady rise, solid in midfield and increasingly composed in knockout matches. The Democratic Republic of Congo remains true to its reputation: unpredictable, explosive, and always capable of delivering a stunning night. Cameroon seeks to reconnect with its storied past. Tunisia, finally, retains its status as a quiet outsider—rarely spectacular, always disciplined, capable of undoing the giants through defensive rigor and tactical culture few teams on the continent match.
Other teams could also spring surprises: Ghana, Cape Verde (a surprise qualifier for the 2026 World Cup), South Africa, Guinea with its rich footballing history, Zambia, Mauritania—now accustomed to upsetting expectations. In African football, no hierarchy is immutable. AFCON is played at the intersection of talent, form, pressure, and collective spirit. That is the tournament’s true magic: nothing is ever written in advance.
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