The Africa Cup of Nations went far beyond the scope of a simple continental competition to stand as a major turning point in the history of African football, praised by CAF, FIFA, and all stakeholders in world football.
Buoyed by this resounding success, Morocco is now looking further ahead to confirm its status as a major football nation and to project itself toward upcoming global milestones.
For the Confederation of African Football, AFCON 2025 is quite simply “the best ever organized.” For the first time in its history, the Africa Cup of Nations was staged in nine state-of-the-art stadiums spread across six cities in the Kingdom.
These ultra-modern venues, combining local identity, historical heritage, and next-generation architecture, provided an exceptional setting for the competition. The condition of the pitches, the quality of the equipment, and the standard of the infrastructure met the highest international benchmarks, setting the bar very high for future editions.
On the media front, AFCON Morocco 2025 broke all records. More than 3,800 media outlets were accredited to cover the event, while matches were broadcast in 30 European countries, 18 more than in the previous edition. This was a first for an African competition, confirming Morocco’s ability to elevate AFCON to the status of a global event and to enhance the appeal of African football far beyond the continent.
The success was also economic. AFCON 2025 stands as the greatest commercial success in the history of African football, with CAF revenues linked to the competition increasing by more than 90%. The number of sponsors continued to grow, rising from nine at AFCON 2021 in Cameroon to 17 in Côte d’Ivoire in 2023, and reaching 23 partners for the Moroccan edition.
This momentum is driven by a strategy based on data analysis, repositioning AFCON as a global football property. The sponsor base now spans several continents, from the United States to China, from Europe to Asia, with even the European Union and, for the first time, Turkey among the partners.
Another major innovation was the launch of eAFCON, marking the historic entry of the Africa Cup of Nations into the world of gaming and eSports through a partnership with Konami and eFootball.
FIFA did not fail to salute this achievement. Its President, Gianni Infantino, described AFCON Morocco 2025 as a competition of “world-class level,” calling it “the most beautiful Africa Cup of Nations in history.”
He also paid tribute to Morocco, “an exceptional host” and a “wonderful country of football, passion, and peace,” emphasizing that the Kingdom succeeded in bringing Africa and the world together through this “fantastic” edition.
According to Infantino, the outstanding infrastructure delivered by Morocco has propelled the Kingdom into the global football elite, while the Vision led by His Majesty the King places the country at the heart of the football ecosystem.
Morocco has no intention of stopping here. Drawing on its organizational expertise, its infrastructure, and its strategic ambition, the Kingdom is now aiming higher, with its sights set on the world’s biggest events and a firm determination to establish itself sustainably among the leading nations of international football.
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