Videos circulating online showed people receiving free tickets for the DR Congo–Benin match near the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday, similar to what happened a day earlier in Agadir, where locals were allowed to attend the Egypt–Zimbabwe match for free.
These scenes sparked widespread online discussion, even though giving out free tickets for some mathces is a common practice at football events worldwide.
At the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, attendance was low as fans were required to have a supporter ID to buy tickets and enter the stadiums.
Only the opening match between Egypt and Zimbabwe drew a strong crowd, while games like Morocco vs. Namibia at Al Salam Stadium saw fewer than 2,000 fans.
Organizers even considered allowing free entry for some matches, though not those featuring Egypt.
In 2019, Qatari organizers acknowledged distributing free tickets during the World Athletics Championships in Doha, where some empty seats at Khalifa Stadium were visible, as they tried to keep the stadium full.
Similarly, a FIFA sponsor offered 20,000 free tickets for Women’s World Cup matches in New Zealand in 2023, where ticket sales were slower compared with Australia.
In 2025, FIFA also handed out free tickets at the 2025 Club World Cup as the governing body tried to fill empty-looking stadiums, though some venues still saw low attendance despite the offers.
Yet, interest in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco remains exceptionally high.
Veron Mosengo-Omba, Secretary General of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), highlighted that no previous AFCON has seen such demand, according to media reports.
“The quality of AFCON Morocco 2025 is reflected in the sale of over one million tickets to date,” he said, noting that fan interest in this edition is unprecedented.
The last edition in Cote d’Ivoire generated around $11 million in ticket sales. While final figures for Morocco 2025 have not been released, early indicators suggest revenue is already surpassing previous editions.
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