FIFA chooses Morocco for its Africa Office (official)

A true powerhouse of African Football in recent years, Morocco has just taken another important step.

Present this Monday in Marrakech to attend the CAF Awards 2024, marked by the crowned African Ballon d’Or by Ademola LookmanFIFA President Gianni Infantino did not make the trip just as a courtesy. Indeed, just after this event, the Italian-Swiss leader participated in a “headquarters agreement signing ceremony” at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech in the presence of the Prime Minister MoroccanAziz Akhannouch, and the president of the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa.

The FIFA Africa Office takes up residence in Rabat

This agreement provides for the opening of the FIFA Africa Office in Rabat, Morocco. The FRMF gave more details in a press release published immediately, explaining that the objective of this Office “aims to accompany and support all initiatives and projects aimed at the development of football in Africa.” This will be the regional office of FIFA on the continent, like Paris for Europe, Miami for America and Jakarta for Asia.

To this end, the Moroccan government and the FRMF have committed to FIFA to support him in all the steps relating to the creation and activities of its African Office, to also put premises at his disposaland to facilitate the installation of foreign employees of FIFA when they arrive in Morocco and to assist them during their stay.

An office that will replace the one in Paris?

This opening therefore has an important symbolic aspect, illustrating the power acquired by Morocco. Especially since, even if FIFA has said nothing on this subject, this Office could visibly be intended to unofficially replace the FIFA Office opened in 2021 in Paris.

Indeed, the governing body of football, whose headquarters is in Zurich, has encountered administrative obstacles with its Paris branch and will probably leave its premises in France at the end of the lease at the end of this year 2024. To take over, it is obviously the Cherifian kingdom which has been chosen!