Host country of CAN 2025, co-organizer of the 2030 World Cup, semi-finalist in Qatar, Rabat has managed to make the “Morocco” flocked jersey an economic, diplomatic and identity standard.
Mission accomplished. Sunday, late in the afternoon, images of the Moulay Abdallah stadium in Rabat, with 68,000 seats, went around the world. Despite an insistent drizzle, the stadium, a modern setting with bright red seats, that of the Moroccan flag, was crackling with all the lights for the opening ceremony of the CAN of which Morocco is the host country. This African Cup of Nations “made in Morocco” which will now be held every four years offered a spectacle combining the 21st century, popular singers and the roots of Africa. The ceremony was chaired by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan in the notable absence of his father, King Mohammed VI. A portrait of the latter sat on an easel on the stage where the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, spoke, thanking him.
For the country, this opening ceremony is an accomplishment. That of the Moroccan ball which has established itself in world opinion since the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. The Atlas Lions, the nickname of the team, had reached the semi-final by playing an engaging game, the eleven lions becoming the standard bearer of the Arab-Muslim world, an emblem of identity and a brand. And doing so in the stadiums of the first Arab country to organize such a competition. As a result, in the bazaars of Kuala Lumpur and Kenya, you can now find jerseys printed with “Morocco”. A first for a team from an Arab country. For the Kingdom, football has become one of the components of the “Morocco” brand. And the most popular sport in the world helps assert the country to the whole world.
An identity dimension
Under the leadership of Mohammed VI, who succeeded his late father Hassan II on July 23, 1999, the famous Moroccan “soft power”, this “making known” of know-how, changed its nature. He acted and still acts behind the scenes, mobilizing his elites across the world, acting as mediator (liberation of French hostages in Burkina Faso) but no longer makes a secret of his ambitions, whether in Western Sahara or in the football issue. Morocco trains imams by the hundreds in order to counter the rise of radical Islamism, is building itself into a hub between Africa and Europe, an economic, banking, logistics hub… With sport, football, the Kingdom offers itself a new ambition: to equip itself with a team capable of competing with the big names in activity, eliminating Spain and Portugal in Qatar; organize two major football events in quick succession. The “Morocco” brand is being shaped in these projects. Since its glorious journey in 2022, the Atlas Lions have been supported by hundreds of millions of supporters. They embody, in addition to sporting values, Arab-Muslim identity. This team was missing from the table, Morocco created it. As well as the billions of views that go with it, billions that flow onto the image and Moroccan economic activity (tourism, FDI.).
An economic dimension
Football, the organization of CAN 2025 then the 2030 Football World Cup with Spain and Portugal, is part of the development policy desired by M6: infrastructure, major projects, making the country a hub… From the north to the south of the country, from Tangier Med, a port located fourteen kilometers from the Spanish coast and therefore from the European Union, to the titanic projects initiated in Western Sahara (agriculture, green energies, port, airport), the projects are legion.
The CAN 2025 is a precursor to the 2030 World Cup. Since December 21, twenty-four teams have settled in five-star conditions. Each has its own hotel (5 stars) and training center. Rabat wants to raise standards to the level of a World Cup. For its national team, a training policy and significant resources have been decided. The training center, the Mohammed VI football academy, is of a very high level. For 2025 and especially 2030, a budget of five billion euros has been granted to build and/or modernize stadiums, build LGV (high-speed lines), put in place all the infrastructure necessary to welcome visitors who could number in the millions in 2030.
An all-out diplomacy
To achieve its goals, become an important player in football, and use the colossal media coverage to develop the national economy, the Kingdom has implemented a complex strategy. Diplomatically, he mobilized support in his favor; administratively, the files submitted were judged to be up to par; economically, he has unlocked the necessary means to accomplish his goal. Which, moreover, the GENZ 212 criticized him by demonstrating, judging that this money should go to hospitals and schools. It will be a challenge for the monarch: to transform this international success into success among his population. A victory for the Lions would obviously have a small effect. To be continued.
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