AFCON 2025 in Morocco: what the tournament showed ahead of the 2030 World Cup

AFCON 2025 showed that Morocco can run a large tournament, but its boost to visitor demand was short and concentrated. The 52 matches, played from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, drew more than 1.25 million spectators, according to CAF. Hotel nights in January 2026 rose 42% in Rabat and 36% in Casablanca, yet national arrivals grew only 3%, and official property prices showed no lift afterwards.

Updated 5 October 2026

Key facts

More than 1.25 million spectators attended AFCON 2025 across nine stadiums in six Moroccan cities, from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 (CAF).
Overnight stays in classified hotels rose 42% in Rabat, 36% in Casablanca and 31% in Tangier in January 2026, against 12% nationally and 7% in Marrakech (DEPF, Ministry of Economy and Finance).
Total tourist arrivals in January 2026 were 1.3 million, up only 3% on January 2025 (DEPF).
Industry Minister Ryad Mezzour put AFCON's direct revenue above €1.5bn, and government figures put the foreign visitors who came for it at about 600,000; no method has been published (January 2026).
Five of Morocco's six 2030 World Cup stadiums were AFCON 2025 venues; only the Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane was not (Morocco World News).
Average annual revenue per Airbnb listing fell 22.4% in Casablanca and 21.8% in Tangier in the 12 months to July 2026, a period that includes AFCON (AirROI).
Morocco's official property price index fell 2.4% quarter on quarter in Q1 2026 in its first release, then rose 0.7% in Q2 2026 (Bank Al-Maghrib/ANCFCC).

What happened at AFCON 2025 in Morocco?

Morocco hosted the Africa Cup of Nations from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, its first men's AFCON since 1988 and the first edition played over Christmas and New Year. Twenty-four teams played 52 matches in nine stadiums across Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier. Rabat had four of the venues, including the rebuilt Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which staged the final.

Crowds were large for Morocco's matches and thinner elsewhere. CAF counted more than 1.25 million spectators; another tally gives 1,340,022, or about 25,800 a match, well below the 45,000 to 75,500 capacity of the six main grounds. Morocco's group games drew 62,000-63,000 each and the final drew 66,526.

The sporting result is legally disputed. Senegal won the final 1-0 after extra time on 18 January 2026 in Rabat, in a match interrupted by a walk-off by Senegal's players, reported at 14 to 17 minutes, and a pitch invasion. On 17 March 2026 the CAF Appeal Board awarded the match to Morocco 3-0 by forfeit. Senegal appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport; as of 5 October 2026, CAS had scheduled a hearing for 8 October 2026 and set no date for its ruling.

Were the stadiums, trains and airports ready?

Yes: the flagship projects were ready for kick-off. Rabat's Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium was demolished and rebuilt in about two years, opening on 5 September 2025 with 69,500 seats. Tangier's stadium was renovated for USD 360m, raising capacity from about 45,000 to about 75,000, according to Anadolu Agency.

The arrival wave came before kick-off. Moroccan airports processed 868,287 passengers from 8 to 18 December 2025, up 10.7% year on year, with a single-day arrivals record on 18 December, according to AfricaSoccer. ONCF said it ran 251 extra trains and carried more than 250,000 supporters between host cities. The Tit Mellil-Berrechid motorway, which bypasses Casablanca, opened on 27 November 2025, about five months early.

Officials drew broad conclusions. In January 2026 Industry Minister Ryad Mezzour said 80% of the infrastructure needed for 2030 was already complete. That is a political claim: the Grand Stade Hassan II was about 40% built in spring 2026, and the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed line was about 30% complete in May 2026, due for delivery in September 2029 according to the Transport Ministry and ONCF. Our guide to the 2030 host cities and stadiums tracks both.

How many visitors did AFCON bring to Morocco?

According to the government, direct revenue exceeded €1.5bn (about MAD 16bn) and about 600,000 foreign visitors came specifically for the tournament. Mezzour gave the revenue figure in January 2026; no method has been published for either number. Pre-tournament forecasts reported by Hespress ranged from 500,000 to 1 million extra visitors and MAD 4.5bn to 12bn in tourism revenue, so the revenue claim sits above the top of that range.

Other figures are more modest. Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor said arrivals from participating countries rose more than 60% in December 2025, and RFI reported nearly 110,000 tickets sold to buyers in France in one sales phase. Yet total arrivals in January 2026 rose only 3% year on year, to 1.3 million (DEPF).

Separating AFCON from the holidays is hard: the opening weekend coincided with Moroccans abroad returning for Christmas, and Tangier Med port handled 15,274 passengers on a single Sunday (Hespress). Arrivals for 2025 as a whole reached a record 19.8 million; see our tourism statistics.

Which cities filled up during AFCON?

Rabat, Casablanca and Tangier gained most: the capital had the most venues and Tangier the biggest stadium. DEPF data for January 2026 shows overnight stays in classified hotels up 12% nationally, with Rabat +42%, Casablanca +36% and Tangier +31%. Agadir (+11%), Fez (+10%) and Marrakech (+7%), also host cities, grew far less.

Not all of the January gain was football: Ouarzazate (+35%) and Errachidia (+29%), which hosted no matches, also grew strongly. In Casablanca, economist and tourism operator Saïd Tahiri told FNH that hotel occupancy rose about 35%, with nearly all rooms taken during the competition.

Growth slowed afterwards: over January to July 2026 as a whole, Rabat's hotel nights were up 16% year on year (Observatoire du tourisme), well below January's 42%. On these figures, the event changed where and how long visitors stayed more than how many came.

Did AFCON lift short-term rentals and property prices?

Not measurably. We found no official short-let data for the tournament. AirROI's figures for August 2025 to July 2026, a window that includes AFCON, show average revenue per Airbnb listing down 22.4% in Casablanca and 21.8% in Tangier year on year. The data does not say why, but a few weeks of strong demand did not offset it.

Official prices show no AFCON effect either. The Bank Al-Maghrib/ANCFCC index fell 2.4% in Q1 2026, the quarter in which the tournament ended, in its first release (about 2% after revision, according to ReaConsult), with transactions down 40.2% on the previous quarter. It rose 0.7% in Q2 2026. We do not attribute either move to the tournament; an event this short is unlikely to show up in national prices. See Morocco property prices in 2026.

What AFCON tells buyers and owners about 2030

The World Cup will draw a larger and more international crowd, but AFCON is the best local guide to how demand behaves. Our reading:

Peaks are short and match-driven. Crowds peaked for the host team's games and the final. Plan for a few strong weeks, not a strong year.
Host cities do not benefit equally. Rabat, Casablanca and Tangier led; Marrakech, whose hotels already ran at 73% occupancy in 2025, grew 7% in January. In 2030, Casablanca's matches move to Benslimane, between Casablanca and Rabat.
Holidays blur the signal. AFCON overlapped Christmas; the 2030 tournament is scheduled for June-July, the start of the summer peak, and August 2026 was the first month ever above 2 million arrivals.
Supply will respond. Around Paris 2024 and the 2026 World Cup, new listings surged, which limits what each host can charge, as our review of mega-event evidence shows.
Infrastructure is the lasting gain. Stadiums, trains and motorways stay after the fans leave, and past hosts suggest that is where property value forms.

If you plan to let a property in 2030, our guide to renting out during the World Cup covers pricing, guest registration and tax.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Who won AFCON 2025?

It is legally disputed. Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the final in Rabat on 18 January 2026. On 17 March 2026 the CAF Appeal Board awarded the match to Morocco 3-0 by forfeit. Senegal appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. As of 5 October 2026, CAS had scheduled a hearing for 8 October 2026 in Lausanne and set no date for its ruling.

How many fans attended AFCON 2025 in Morocco?

More than 1.25 million, according to CAF. Another count gives 1,340,022 across 52 matches, about 25,800 per match. Morocco's group games drew 62,000-63,000 each and the final in Rabat drew 66,526. CAF called it its most-watched tournament, with 6.1 billion digital impressions.

How much money did AFCON 2025 bring to Morocco?

More than €1.5 billion in direct revenue, according to the government. Industry Minister Ryad Mezzour gave that figure, about MAD 16 billion, in January 2026, and government figures also cited about 600,000 foreign visitors and more than 100,000 jobs. No method has been published. Forecasts made before the tournament ranged from MAD 4.5 billion to MAD 12 billion in tourism revenue.

Which AFCON 2025 stadiums will host 2030 World Cup matches?

Five of the six planned 2030 stadiums: Tangier, Rabat's Prince Moulay Abdellah, Agadir's Adrar, Fez and Marrakech. Casablanca's Stade Mohammed V, an AFCON venue, will not host 2030 matches; the new Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane province, planned at 115,000 seats, represents Casablanca instead. Agadir and Fez have further upgrades planned for 2026-2028.

Did AFCON 2025 raise property prices in Morocco?

No effect shows in official data. The Bank Al-Maghrib/ANCFCC index fell 2.4% in the first quarter of 2026, the quarter in which the tournament ended, in its first release, then rose 0.7% in the second quarter. Hotel demand in Rabat, Casablanca and Tangier rose sharply in January 2026, but a four-week event is unlikely to move national property prices on its own.

Is Morocco ready to host the 2030 World Cup?

Largely, judging by AFCON 2025, but two big projects are unfinished. The tournament ran in nine stadiums with extra trains and airport traffic up 10.7% in the run-up. The Grand Stade Hassan II was about 40% complete in spring 2026, targeting end-2027, and the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed line about 30% complete in May 2026, due in September 2029. The government also plans 60,000 extra hotel beds by 2030.

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