My first stage is sport explained to children. Here, we answer all their questions, we decipher the rules, we tell the stories of great athletes, we learn everything about sport. In this 5-episode series, we focus on the CAN, on the occasion of the 35th edition which takes place in Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026.
In this episode, Axelle, 10 and a half years old, a young Ivorian supporter, wonders if football still makes us dream through a major event, the African Cup of Nations.
It’s true that there are many of us around the planet who are interested in football. Fifa proudly boasts 5 billion football fans around the world.
A figure which was not necessarily found in the stands of Moroccan stadiums, desperately empty at the start of the competition. Obviously the images embarrass the organizers but almost every CAN. we are surprised to see stands without spectators. Apart from a few problems with ticketing, the reason lies mainly in the price of seats, travel and accommodation. Moreover, it is often enough to open the doors for free to see the stadiums fill up as if by magic.
The beauty of CAN
The enthusiasm is there for this Moroccan CAN broadcast in 54 African countries and 30 European countries. A historic record for the African Confederation.
This 35th edition gave us plenty to dream about:
• The decisive goal of young Burkinabè Georgi Minoungou in the group stage. Blind in one eye, he scored in the last group match against Equatorial Guinea, and allowed Burkina Faso to qualify for the eighth.
• The acrobatic returns of the Moroccan Ayoub El Kaabi, directly propelled into the list of the most beautiful goals of the competition
• Spectators also dream of the image of Michel Kuka Mboladinga. This Congolese supporter spent all the DRC matches in the stands standing on a pedestal, motionless, like the statue of Patrice Lumumba. A true tribute to the former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo and figure of the country’s independence.
And the list is not exhaustive.
Football: all for business?
But football is not spared from controversies which tarnish the beauty of the game. For example, the surprise announcement by the president of the African Football Confederation to organize the CAN every 4 years and no longer every two years does not make everyone dream. The debate continues. Some see it as an engine of development for African football, others rebel against a decision dictated by FIFA and European clubs.
Football also generates a lot of money. The expansion of the World Cup format to 48 teams and no longer 32 goes in this direction. FIFA estimates the impact of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada at 11 billion euros. Double what the previous World Cup in Qatar brought in.
Enough to further fuel the debates on football business…
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