The city of Marrakech is experiencing a historic moment today, Monday, with the signing of the official protocol for the establishment of the first permanent continental headquarters of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in Africa.
This event will be chaired by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, in the presence of the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, and the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Faouzi Lakjaa, as well as An audience of presidents of international federations and renowned players from Africa and Europe.
The new continental headquarters in Morocco will be similar to that of FIFA in Paris and is part of the organization’s expansion strategy to strengthen its global presence. This achievement follows the recent inauguration of FIFA’s legal headquarters in Miami, USA.
The role of this headquarters will not be limited to administrative management. It will also support Morocco’s preparations for the organization of the 2030 World Cup, with an international administrative team and Moroccan skills. It will also serve as a development center for African football, in line with initiatives overseen by FIFA Executive Council member Faouzi Lakjaa to promote sports governance and infrastructure on the continent.
In recent years, Morocco has established itself as a preferred destination for African teams suffering from a lack of sports equipment, offering ideal conditions for matches and training camps. These efforts, praised by the presidents of FIFA and CAF, have made Morocco a model for the development of football in Africa.
This achievement is the result of the royal directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who made the development of sport in Morocco and Africa a priority. Furthermore, the administrative and diplomatic skills of Faouzi Lakjaa were decisive in convincing FIFA to choose the Kingdom as the headquarters of this continental project.
For his part, Pierluigi Collina, president of the FIFA Referees Committee, expressed his admiration for the passion of Moroccans for football and for the progress made by the country, both at the level of men and women, during the recent years.
The establishment of this continental headquarters constitutes a key step in strengthening Morocco’s status as a global sports hub, and illustrates international confidence in the Kingdom’s ability to lead major sports projects in the service of Africa and the world .
