Rabat – July 27, 2025 — In a landmark moment for African and global football, FIFA inaugurated its first regional office in North Africa on Saturday, selecting Morocco as the host nation for this pivotal facility. The move comes as the Kingdom intensifies preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host alongside Spain and Portugal.
The inauguration ceremony, held in the capital Rabat, was attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe. The event took place just hours before the final of the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, in which Morocco’s national team played a historic match against Nigeria.
“This is a day that will be written in golden letters in the magnificent history of FIFA, African football, Moroccan football, and world football,” declared President Infantino, underscoring the growing importance of Morocco on the global football stage.
With the launch of this office, Morocco joins an elite list of African nations hosting FIFA regional hubs, alongside Senegal, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and South Africa. However, it becomes the first and only country in North Africa to do so — a testament to its increasing leadership and influence in African football governance and infrastructure.
Morocco’s selection as a 2030 World Cup co-host marks a historic achievement for the Kingdom after five previous unsuccessful bids. It will become only the second African nation to host football’s most prestigious tournament, following South Africa in 2010.
The FIFA office in Rabat is expected to play a vital role in coordinating logistics, development programs, and football governance across the region. It also reinforces Morocco’s status as a sporting hub, having already successfully hosted multiple international tournaments and invested heavily in world-class infrastructure.
This development aligns with King Mohammed VI’s vision to position Morocco as a regional and continental leader not only in diplomacy and development but also in sports excellence and youth empowerment. The inauguration of the FIFA regional office adds to the Kingdom’s growing football legacy and signals a new era of opportunity and global collaboration as the world turns its eyes toward Morocco for the 2030 World Cup.
BY: The Times Union
