The Mohammed VI Football Complex is not merely a sports facility. It is a tangible embodiment of a long-term national strategy, and proof that sport in Morocco has become public policy in the fullest sense of the term. To understand the scale of what has been built in Salé, it is enough to know that FIFA — the most powerful international federation in the world of sport — chose this very complex to host its regional office for Africa in July 2025, rather than Cairo, Johannesburg, or Lagos.
| Location | Maâmora area, Salé, Morocco |
|---|---|
| Inauguration date | December 9, 2019 |
| Area | 29.3 hectares |
| Construction cost | 630 million dirhams (~60 million euros) |
| Number of pitches | 11 pitches (natural, artificial, indoor, hybrid, beach) |
| Capacity | 25 national teams at the same time |
| FIFA Africa Office | Opened at the complex in July 2025 |
| The academy | Founded in 2008, comprehensive training (sports + education) |
From Idea to Stone: How Was This Project Born?
The Mohammed VI Complex cannot be understood without going slightly back in time. In 2008, Moroccan football was facing real structural problems: national teams moving between rented pitches here and there, the absence of a unified methodology for training young players, and inflated travel and accommodation costs draining the budget of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. That year, the Mohammed VI Football Academy was established as the first seed of a larger project, with the core objective of developing players who combine high athletic performance with an excellent academic level.
But the major qualitative step came on December 9, 2019, when His Majesty King Mohammed VI inaugurated the integrated sports complex that now bears his name. The decision to build it came from a clear vision: to bring all national football energies together under one roof, and to end the fragmentation that had been hindering the performance of the national teams. The project required an investment exceeding 630 million dirhams, equivalent to 60 million euros, making it one of the largest sports investments in the history of the Kingdom.
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, summarized the idea clearly when he stated that the complex made it possible to “bring together 25 national teams in one place, which has tangibly helped reduce transport and accommodation costs, and provide unified training conditions that contribute to improving the performance of the national teams.” The figure is simple, but it reflects a deep transformation in the way Moroccan football is managed.
The Complex’s Facilities: When Infrastructure Speaks for Itself
If you want to understand what the term “first-class integrated football facility” means, the complex gives you a comprehensive answer. The area is 29.3 hectares, and within this space an entire sporting world coexists. The infrastructure is designed not only for today’s needs, but for decades to come, and what is striking is that everything is approved by FIFA according to its strictest standards.
In terms of pitches, the complex includes 11 pitches in total, distributed as follows: four natural grass pitches, three others with artificial turf meeting international standards, in addition to an indoor futsal pitch, a hybrid pitch combining natural and artificial grass, and a pitch dedicated to beach football. This diversity makes it capable of hosting national team training sessions in all internationally recognized forms of the game.
But numbers alone are not enough to express the reality of the place. What truly distinguishes the complex is what is not immediately visible: the new-generation sports medicine and performance center, which uses motion analysis and biomechanical measurement technologies to monitor player performance and prevent injuries. This kind of facility had not previously existed in African football. In addition, the complex includes an outdoor Olympic swimming pool and two tennis courts, as well as five hotels within the campus that provide comfortable accommodation for all hosted national teams.
Mohammed VI Academy: Where Tomorrow’s Stars Are Born
At the heart of the complex, the Mohammed VI Football Academy has had its roots since 2008. The academy is not merely a traditional football school, but an integrated educational project that refuses to produce a successful player at the expense of an educated human being. Every talent entering the academy receives sports training alongside a complete academic path, because the logic on which the academy was founded states clearly: talent alone is not enough.
The academy requires its candidates to hold Moroccan nationality, and periodically opens its doors to targeted age groups through strict and free selection trials held at the complex’s headquarters in Salé. What deserves mention is the international recognition this methodology has received: FIFA explicitly praised the academy as “a key factor in Morocco’s success at the Qatar 2022 World Cup,” the tournament that amazed the world and produced a semi-final appearance for the first time in African history.
In April 2025, the academy hosted the eighth edition of the international under-19 tournament, with the participation of 16 teams from four continents, including Monaco and Rennes from France, Villarreal from Spain, Boca Juniors from Argentina, Palmeiras from Brazil, and Qatar’s Aspire Academy. This continental diversity in an event organized in Salé is clear evidence that the academy has become an internationally recognized destination on the youth football map.
The Historic Moment: FIFA Chooses Salé as Its African Headquarters
On July 26, 2025, the Mohammed VI Complex experienced a defining moment in its journey. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, personally came to Salé to inaugurate the international federation’s regional office in Africa inside the complex. The ceremony also brought together CAF president Patrice Motsepe and Royal Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa. Notably, the celebration coincided with the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat.
Infantino did not hold back in expressing his amazement, describing the facility as “incredible and magnificent infrastructure,” and affirming that “the facility we are opening today is not just an office for the International Federation of Association Football in Africa, but a global FIFA hub that will have a worldwide impact on the practice of this sport.” These words from the head of the most powerful football institution in the world are not diplomatic courtesy, but official recognition of the level of infrastructure hosting this agreement.
It is worth noting that the agreement to establish this office was signed in December 2024 in Marrakech, on the sidelines of the CAF Awards ceremony, in the presence of Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, Infantino, and Lekjaa. This means that the choice of Morocco was not spontaneous, but the result of extended technical and political negotiations that proved the Kingdom truly has something to offer African and global football.
The Complex and the 2030 World Cup: Preparation That Began Early
Morocco is preparing to host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, and this historic event gives the Mohammed VI Complex even greater importance. The complex will not only be the training base for participating national teams, but will also host coordination committees and technical programs for FIFA Africa related to the organization.
In this context, National Technical Director Fathi Jamal spoke about the new strategy for developing Moroccan football and the vision of the National Technical Directorate for national teams during a seminar held at the complex in 2025. The message is clear: the complex has become not only infrastructure, but an intellectual laboratory for producing football ideas and updating methodologies.
Observers also note that the specialized French newspaper “L’Équipe” published an in-depth report on this facility, praising its “11 pitches, five hotels with spacious rooms, a mosque next to an Olympic swimming pool, and a highly equipped medical center,” while pointing to a football museum currently being built within the campus. The same French newspaper that has long written about European stadiums is now writing about Salé — and that in itself is news.
International Praise: When the World Talks About Salé
In April 2026, Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, visited Morocco and toured the complex’s facilities. According to reports, the French official spent considerable time in front of the sports medicine facilities and biomechanical analysis equipment, and officially praised the “quality of the infrastructure and advanced equipment.” The visit came in the context of strengthening French-Moroccan sports cooperation ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
This praise is not limited to France. Since the opening of the complex, it has attracted the attention of delegations from different continents of the world — Africans, Europeans, and Asians who came to observe and learn. When a sports facility in Africa attracts this much international attention, it means it is no longer merely a national achievement, but has become a model that may be emulated.
A Critical Reading: What Has Been Built and What Still Lies Ahead
It may seem difficult to criticize a facility that enjoys this much international recognition, but asking difficult questions remains healthy and necessary, even when the answers are not entirely comfortable.
There is no doubt that the investment in infrastructure has been real, massive, and fruitful. Yet the most important question remains: to what extent are these investments reflected in the national league, and in the reality of grassroots football in Morocco? The complex has provided an ideal environment for elite national teams, and this is clearly visible in the results. But the gap remains between this advanced level and the reality of small clubs in the provinces. Major resources are concentrated mainly in Salé, Casablanca, and Rabat, while many talents in remote areas are still waiting for infrastructure capable of embracing and discovering them at the right time.
There is also another aspect worth reflecting on. Managing the complex according to a “joint-stock company” model appears to be a well-studied choice to ensure financial sustainability, but at the same time it opens a legitimate question about the relationship between public investment and social return. Moroccan citizens have the right to know how a facility of this size is managed, and how its revenues can be used to serve the broad base of football, not just its summit.
Nevertheless, it would be unfair to overlook the real transformation this complex has brought to Moroccan football. Reaching the semi-finals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup was not a passing coincidence, but the fruit of long-term work and a strict training methodology that extended for years inside this facility and its academy. The successive successes of the various national team categories — from youth and Olympic teams to women’s football and futsal — also confirm that this path has begun to bear fruit.
Therefore, the criticism here does not diminish the value of the achievement, but seeks to make its impact broader and fairer. True success is not completed only by building a strong national team, but by creating a system capable of giving every talent, wherever it may be found, a genuine chance to dream and to arrive.
Legacy and Future: What Is This Complex Really Building?
When we talk about the Mohammed VI Football Complex, we are not only talking about pitches, hotels, and equipment. We are talking about an entire narrative that Morocco wants to tell the world: that Africa is capable of producing a sports model that matches the best in the world and surpasses it in some aspects, and that investing in people and infrastructure produces tangible results on the ground.
Infantino said in July 2025 something that sounded like a conclusion: “The world will unite here in Morocco.” This is not merely ceremonial rhetoric. Morocco is hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, the men’s Africa Cup of Nations 2025, and the next five editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. All these events together need a backbone, and the complex is that backbone.
Regionally, Salé has become a true attraction point for African football: CAF meetings are held here, the African Ballon d’Or ceremony was hosted here, and FIFA’s regional office operates here. Internationally, delegations from Europe, Asia, and Latin America are now visiting the complex to benefit from its experience.
As for the deeper human level, there is something no official document has mentioned: every morning, hundreds of Moroccan children line up for the academy trials carrying one dream. Many of them will not become football stars. But the training they receive, the discipline they acquire, and the confidence they build on those green pitches will remain with them throughout their lives. This may be the deepest thing the Mohammed VI Complex is building: the human being before the player.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Mohammed VI Football Complex
Where is the Mohammed VI Football Complex located?
The Mohammed VI Football Complex is located in the Maâmora area on the outskirts of the city of Salé, just a short distance from the capital Rabat. This location was carefully chosen for its proximity to various logistical facilities and for its ease of access from different parts of the Kingdom. Its land extends over an area of 29.3 hectares, making it one of the largest integrated football complexes in the world.
When was the Mohammed VI Football Academy founded?
The Mohammed VI Football Academy was founded in 2008 through a direct royal initiative by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, with the aim of discovering and training young football talents and supplying the national teams with players who are technically and academically qualified. The Mohammed VI Complex came in 2019 to complete this system by providing an integrated professional infrastructure.
How much did it cost to build the Mohammed VI Football Complex?
The total cost of building the Mohammed VI Football Complex amounted to about 630 million Moroccan dirhams, equivalent to approximately 60 million euros. This investment includes all components of the complex, from pitches and medical facilities to hotels, an Olympic swimming pool, and educational and administrative facilities.
What distinguishes the Mohammed VI Complex from other training centers in the world?
The Mohammed VI Complex is distinguished by a set of rare characteristics at the global level: it brings together under one roof 11 pitches with different types of surfaces, five hotels inside the campus, an Olympic swimming pool, a new-generation medical and biomechanical center, as well as educational facilities for young players. Most importantly, it can host 25 national teams at the same time. In July 2025, the complex gained a new international dimension when FIFA chose it as the headquarters of its regional office in Africa.
How can one register at the Mohammed VI Football Academy?
To register at the Mohammed VI Football Academy, the candidate must hold Moroccan nationality and fall within the targeted age categories. Registration opens through the academy’s official online page and does not require any financial payment. The academy focuses on achieving a balance between athletic excellence and academic performance.
What is the role of the Mohammed VI Complex in preparing for the 2030 World Cup?
The Mohammed VI Complex occupies a central place in Morocco’s preparations to host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. It represents the main training base for the national teams, has hosted FIFA’s regional office for Africa since July 2025, and will also host coordination committees and technical programs related to the World Cup. FIFA specifically chose Morocco to host its African office in recognition of the exceptional infrastructure provided by this complex.
Sources and References
1. Moroccan News Agency (MAP/ANEP): Report on the construction of the Mohammed VI Complex in Saléhttps://www.anep.ma/ar/node/206
2. National Company of Radio and Television of Morocco (SNRT): Mohammed VI Academy, a royal project to produce talent
https://www.snrt.ma/ar/node/29248
3. le7tv.ma: Opening of FIFA’s office in Africa at the Mohammed VI Complex (July 2025)
https://le7tv.ma/580032.html
4. rue20.com: French newspaper L’Équipe covers the complex and Infantino praises it
https://rue20.com/918060.html | https://rue20.com/924074.html
5. expresstv.ma: Mohammed VI Complex, a strategic Moroccan investment costing 60 million euros
https://www.expresstv.ma/sport/92266/
6. chamalpress.ma: Praise from the president of the French Football Federation for the Mohammed VI Complex (April 2026)
https://www.chamalpress.ma/2026/04/67024
7. Official maroc.ma website: FIFA inaugurates Africa office in Morocco's Mohammed VI Football Complex
https://www.maroc.ma/en/news/fifa-inaugurates-africa-office-moroccos-mohammed-vi-football-complex
8. niya.maroc.ma: International U-19 tournament at the Mohammed VI Academy 2025
https://niya.maroc.ma/
Conclusion: The Mohammed VI Football Complex is not a completed project. It is a living project that grows and expands, and every year adds a new layer of meaning and achievement to it. From the academy that trains talents, to the complex that hosts the world, to the FIFA office that makes it an African football capital — this upward trajectory deserves to be followed and watched closely. If you care about the future of Moroccan and African football, the address whose news you should follow is: Maâmora, Salé.