Morocco is preparing to host an exceptional edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) this Sunday evening with a grand opening ceremony preceding the opening match between the Moroccan national team and their Comorian counterparts. The match will kick off at 8:00 PM at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The opening ceremony is expected to be a global celebration, reflecting the depth of Moroccan civilization and the diversity of its cultural influences, as well as highlighting the Kingdom's African reach and its role as a cultural bridge between Africa and the rest of the world. The ceremony will feature artistic and visual displays that evoke the history of the African continent and celebrate the values of unity, diversity, and shared belonging.
The event will be attended by prominent figures from the world of football, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, along with African and international football legends and icons.
The ceremony will also feature prominent artists and celebrities, including the internationally acclaimed Moroccan comedian Gad Elmaleh, Egyptian star Mohamed Ramadan, and the artist Maitre Gims, along with a number of African artists who will perform musical pieces blending African rhythms with a Moroccan touch.
The opening ceremony will receive extensive media coverage, broadcast by major international channels in addition to national channels, most notably the Moroccan sports channel “Arriyadia,” beIN SPORTS MAX, Channel 4 UK, and Canal+ France, as well as other global platforms and channels.
This media attention reflects the high stakes of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which is expected to be among the most-watched and widely distributed editions in the tournament's history, thanks to an unprecedented network of broadcasting rights agreements.
In this context, the Secretary General of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Veron Mosengo-Omba, revealed that the tournament, which will run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, will be broadcast in all 54 African countries, as well as 30 European countries, including 18 countries broadcasting the competition for the first time.
The same official added that viewership outside the continent, particularly in countries like Brazil, could reach between 30 and 40 million viewers, confirming the growing global reach of African football.
CAF had announced in mid-December the signing of a record number of television broadcasting agreements, totaling 20, across more than 30 European countries. Among the most prominent of these was the historic agreement with Britain's Channel 4, which will broadcast all 52 matches of the tournament free-to-air for the first time.
On the fan front, expectations point to breaking new records, with more than one million tickets already sold, thanks to Morocco's modern sports infrastructure, world-class stadiums, and advanced transportation network.
On the financial front, broadcasting and advertising rights revenues for the 2025–2026 season are estimated at over $190 million, with Morocco expected to benefit from approximately 20 percent of that, exceeding $22 million.
As the eyes of the continent and the world turn to Rabat this evening, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off with a world-class opening ceremony that reflects Morocco's ambition and reaffirms its position as a leading organizational and sporting force on the continental and international stage.
