While hostile voices in neighbouring Algeria focus on “victimhood” narratives and conspiracy claims around AFCON 2025, major international outlets have instead been united in their praise for Morocco’s organisation of the tournament.
Many describe this edition of the Africa Cup of Nations as a genuine dress rehearsal for the 2030 World Cup, with Morocco setting a new benchmark for the continent.
French magazine France Football wrote that Morocco delivered the best infrastructure, logistics and stadium readiness in AFCON history, calling AFCON 2025 “the best edition ever” for Africa. It mocked attempts to reduce the tournament to off‑pitch “backstage” stories, stressing that Morocco’s superiority is visible in pitch quality, broadcast production and the smooth flow of operations, facts that cannot be undone by rhetoric.
In England, The Guardian highlighted the world‑class arenas and exceptional fan atmospheres in cities such as Tangier, Rabat and Marrakech. The paper argued that Morocco has broken the so‑called “organisation curse” that once haunted African events, noting that efforts to politicise some teams’ sporting failures collide with the reality of an impressively run competition that rivals top European leagues.
Portuguese daily A Bola focused on the “revolution” Morocco has led in African football, branding the country the “locomotive” of the continent’s game. It said Algerian and Senegalese “conspiracy” rhetoric looks childish when set against hard numbers for attendance, fan engagement and satisfaction, which show African supporters placing real trust in Morocco as a soft‑power leader for sport in the region.
