As of December 2025, Morocco has undergone a transformative year, balancing high-stakes sporting preparations with significant diplomatic and industrial milestones. The year has been characterized by “World Cup-level” infrastructure building and a strengthening of the country’s regional influence.

Here is a summary of the major events and achievements in Morocco throughout 2025.

Sports: The Year of the “Dress Rehearsal”

2025 was the year Morocco solidified its status as a global football hub, using major tournaments as a testing ground for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

• AFCON 2025 Kick-off: The 35th Africa Cup of Nations officially began on December 21, 2025, hosted across six cities (Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Agadir, Marrakech, and Fes). The event features a record nine renovated stadiums.

• FIFA U-20 World Cup Champions: In October, Morocco made history by winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, defeating Argentina 2-0 in the final—a testament to the country’s heavy investment in youth academies like the Mohammed VI Football Complex.

• Women’s Football Success: Morocco hosted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July 2025, and Ghizlane Chebbak became the first Moroccan woman to be named African Footballer of the Year in November.

• Stadium Milestones: Construction continued on the Grand Stade Hassan II near Casablanca, which is designed to be the world’s largest football stadium with a 115,000-seat capacity.

Diplomacy & Politics: Sovereignty and Stability

2025 saw a “pivotal shift” in Morocco’s international standing, particularly regarding territorial integrity.

• UN Resolution & New National Holiday: On October 31, 2025, the UN Security Council approved a resolution recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. King Mohammed VI subsequently declared October 31st a new national holiday.

• Royal Amnesties: To mark 25 years on the throne, the King granted a royal pardon to nearly 5,000 cannabis farmers (as part of the new legal cultivation framework) and released several prominent journalists and activists in July.

• Diplomatic Expansion: Morocco deepened its “Atlantic Initiative,” positioning itself as a gateway for Sahelian countries to access the Atlantic Ocean.

Economy & Infrastructure: High-Tech Growth

The Moroccan economy showed resilience in 2025, driven by industrial modernization and a record-breaking tourism year.

• Tourism Record: Morocco welcomed a record 18 million visitors by November 2025, surpassing all previous years and boosting the GDP through the hospitality and service sectors.

• High-Tech Milestone: In November, the government announced that high-tech and medium-high-tech sectors (notably automotive and aerospace) now generate over 50% of Morocco’s industrial added value, hitting the nation’s 2035 target ten years early.

• The “Hyundai Rotem” Deal: In February, Morocco signed a $1.53 billion contract with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem to supply advanced trains for the ONCF, further expanding the Kingdom’s high-speed rail network.

• Renewable Energy: Masen (Morocco’s Agency for Sustainable Energy) launched a new 1.7 GW renewable energy program, aiming for 52% of total electricity capacity from renewables by 2030.

Culture & Society: Heritage in the Spotlight

Morocco continued to preserve its identity while embracing digital and social shifts.

• UNESCO Recognition: In December 2025, the Moroccan Caftan was officially inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

• Social Protection Expansion: The “Social State” model reached a new milestone with the inauguration of the Mohammed VI International University Hospital Complex in Rabat, part of a nationwide effort to generalize healthcare coverage.

• Amazigh New Year: 2025 marked the second year of the Amazigh New Year (Yennayer) being celebrated as an official paid national holiday (January 14).