CAN 2025: Economic Impacts That Extend Beyond The Pitch

The promise of an exceptional AFCON has been kept. Morocco, indeed, committed to organizing this African event to international standards and has met this challenge with flying colors.

Beyond the defeat, the economic spin-offs from organizing this historic AFCON have exceeded all expectations, across all editions.

Right from the start, over one million spectators attended the matches of this competition across the nine stadiums—a record never achieved in 35 editions, even before the semi-finals were held. Including them plus the final, total attendance is expected to surpass 1.25 million entries.

In an interview with “France24,” Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Commerce and Industry, gave an initial assessment of the economic impacts of this AFCON. “This event is one of the most profitable in AFCON history, with a multiplier effect of 1.8 to 2 times on both revenues and investments.”

Indeed, the entire country has been transformed in terms of sports, road, hotel, and logistical infrastructure… Morocco has massively invested in renovating and upgrading the nine stadiums hosting the various competitions to the highest standards, at a cost of nearly 20 billion dirhams.

“It is 3,000 companies that contributed to all the projects to achieve this world-class infrastructure and service network.” Even better, “80% of the sports investments made have already been recouped,” Mezzour emphasizes.

A development accelerator is an understatement, as this event allowed the country to “gain about ten years of development, in just 24 months, in terms of infrastructure, transport, the health system, and more,” the minister specified. On the hospitality front, over 43,000 beds were created, raising the share of 4- and 5-star establishments to 53%.

100,000 Jobs Created

The impact is particularly felt on employment as well. The competition generated direct and indirect jobs estimated at 100,000 across several sectors such as events, hospitality, logistics, security, and various other services. Recall that projections indicate spin-offs reaching up to 12 billion dirhams.

Other economic sectors also experienced significant dynamism, notably tourism. Tourist arrivals were at their peak. In 2025, nearly 20 million tourists visited the country, a 14% increase compared to 2024.

The AFCON effect is tangible, certainly, but this figure would not have been achieved without the profound transformation of the sector undertaken over recent years. It must also be said that the strengthening of air links to several countries across four continents contributed greatly to this feat.

Moreover, just on the eve of the event’s kickoff, from December 8 to 18, the National Airports Office (ONDA) recorded 868,287 passengers welcomed at the six airports of the host cities (Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir, and Fez), representing a 10.7% increase compared to the same period the previous year. For the entire year, national traffic reached 36.3 million passengers, compared to 32.7 million in 2024, an increase of 11%.

In this context, several airports reached peaks in terms of visitors. Leading the way, Casablanca’s airport surpassed 11 million passengers as early as December, consolidating its role as a national and continental hub; Marrakech’s airport reached, for the first time, the threshold of 10 million annual passengers; and Rabat-Salé airport recorded exceptional growth of 26%, crossing the 2 million passenger mark.

The effect is also visible in terms of mobility. Means of transport experienced intense activity, to say the least. Looking solely at the achievements of rail transport, by the ONCF specifically, a turnover of 5 billion dirhams is projected, corresponding to the transport of 57 million passengers, a 4% increase compared to 2024, as well as the movement of 21 million tons of goods.

Consumption Increase of 25%

Simultaneously, AFCON 2025 constituted a real economic opportunity for small businesses, particularly restaurants, which managed to benefit from the popular excitement surrounding the competition.

“Encouraging returns were recorded in the commerce sector with a consumption increase estimated between 25 and 30%.” Some owners report revenue volumes more than double those of the traditional winter period, typically characterized by low activity.

On a completely different note, AFCON 2025 established itself as the greatest commercial success in the history of African football. The economic performance of the competition generated an increase of over 90% in CAF’s revenues. According to the CAF 2025-2026 budget report, this AFCON is expected to bring in $113.8 million, compared to $80 million for the 2023 edition.

This is explained, according to CAF, by several factors, including a significant expansion of the portfolio of commercial partners and sponsors, whose number rose to 23, compared to 17 during the 2023 edition organized in Côte d’Ivoire and only 9 during AFCON 2021 in Cameroon.

It must also be said that the growth in media rights distribution, as well as the opening to new markets, notably in the Far East, particularly China and Japan, while consolidating traditional markets, played an important role in strengthening CAF’s revenues.

Morocco does not intend to stop there. This AFCON represents a full-scale test for organizing the 2030 World Cup, jointly with Portugal and Spain.

A Global Showcase for Morocco

With AFCON 2025, the Kingdom has demonstrated its expertise in organizing large-scale African events and will repeat it with the upcoming organization of the Women’s AFCON, the Club World Cup in 2029, or even the 2030 World Cup, regardless of what some may say.

This has provided it with unparalleled visibility, credibility, and reliability internationally as a host of world competitions, both in the eyes of international sports bodies and foreign sponsors and investors. Could AFCON 2028 be organized in Morocco? Nothing is certain, but the country remains the clear favorite.