The Moroccan Government has estimated more than 1,500 million euros direct income generated by the African Cup of Nations (CAN) 2025, held in Morocco, which allowed prepare 80% of the infrastructure for the 2030 World Cupwhich the country will co-organize with Spain and Portugal.
The Moroccan Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ryad Mezzour, highlighted in statements given to EFE, a “double effect” on income and investmentsdriven by nearly 600,000 tournament-specific visitors, who are integrated into a record year for Moroccan tourism with 20 million arrivals (+14 %).
These flows have energized transportation, hospitality, restaurants and crafts, with a immediate injection of liquidity in the local economy.
Mezzour rated the 2.3 billion euros invested in that edition of the CAN, which concluded last Sunday, as a “sovereign investment” in durable infrastructure, such as nine stadiums built or rehabilitatedas well as road networks, airports and services.
“We have gained a decade of development in 24 months (…) and we provide the Kingdom with infrastructure that will serve citizens for the next 50 years,” he stated.
He stressed that the impact on employment is a “reason for pride.” The CAN, won by the Senegal team, allowed the creation of more than 100,000 jobs. “These are not just temporary jobs: thousands of young people have been trained according to international standards, acquiring lasting employability beyond 2025,” he said.
The minister explained that more than 3,000 industrial companies participated in the workss. Furthermore, he added that the CAN accelerated the technological transformation in Morocco with the deployment of 5G, digital identification systems, digital ticketing and cybersecurity solutions. These initiatives allowed us to reduce logistics costs and attract new investments.
He explained that, with an audience of 2 billion viewers and 10 billion views on social networksMorocco showed its capacity to organize major international events, such as the 2030 World Cup, for which 80% of the main infrastructure is already prepared thanks to the CAN.
The remaining 20% for the World Cup includes the high speed train line extension (LGV, which currently links Casablanca and Tangier) to Marrakech and Agadir, the increase in hotel capacity and the construction of the Grand Stadium of Casablanca.
