The Africa office of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was inaugurated on Saturday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, during a ceremony chaired by FIFA President, Gianni Infantino.
The event was attended by Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Patrice Motsepe, Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President, FouziLekjaa, and several other dignitaries.
“This is a historic moment, a festive and joyful day that will be engraved in golden letters in the history of FIFA and football in Africa, in Morocco, and around the world,” said Infantino in his address.
He noted that “the inauguration of the FIFA Africa office comes at a perfect time as it coincides with the celebrations of the glorious Throne Day,” adding that the Mohammed VI Football Complex is “an incredible and magnificent facility.”
“I thank His Majesty King Mohammed VI for the momentum given to the development of sport on the continent,” Infantino added, emphasizing that the Royal impetus for football development is “unique.”
Infantino further stated that the Mohammed VI Complex, which hosts the new FIFA Africa office, has become a nerve center for African football and a symbol of a country and continent looking toward the future.
“What we are inaugurating today is not just a FIFA Africa office. It is rather a global FIFA center, as it will have a worldwide impact on the game,” he said.
The FIFA president also recalled that Morocco is set to host several major sporting events, including the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the next five editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted with Spain and Portugal. “The world will unite here in Morocco,” he said.
He also highlighted that Saturday evening’s final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations between Morocco and Nigeria in Rabat would be “a great and beautiful celebration” of women’s football in Morocco and Africa, noting that the Moroccan public’s enthusiasm for football is unique worldwide.
CAF President Motsepe welcomed the inauguration of FIFA’s Africa office in Morocco, stating that “there could not be a better place to establish this office.”
He expressed his gratitude to HM King Mohammed VI for his ongoing efforts in support of football on the continent, noting that African football is of global standard.
Recalling the performance of African teams at the last World Cup in Qatar, particularly Morocco’s historic semi-final run, Motsepe said he is convinced that African football will dominate the global stage in the years to come.
FRMF President FouziLekjaa underlined that the Mohammed VI Complex, which now hosts the FIFA Africa office, was realized thanks to the enlightened Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, describing it as the result of a strategy aimed at fostering the development of Moroccan and African youth.
“This Vision aspires to make Morocco a land of welcome and convergence for talent from all corners of the world,” he said.
According to Lekjaa, the establishment of the office reflects FIFA’s interest in African football and the development of all its categories, recalling that Morocco has always been and will remain a land of tolerance and dialogue between civilizations.
The headquarters agreement for the FIFA Africa office in Morocco was signed last December in Marrakech on the sidelines of the 2024 CAF Awards ceremony by Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, and FRMF President, FouziLekjaa.
