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| (Image Source: Sports Bytes Philippines/World Football Summit) |
The inaugural edition of the World Football Summit (WFS) Rabat 2025 featured two days of impactful dialogue and strategic collaboration. Held last April 9-10, 2025 at UM6P (Mohammed VI Polytechnic University)’s Rabat campus in partnership with Evosport and the Royal Moroccan Federation of Football (FRMF), the summit convened 1,077 football industry leaders from 70 countries, including stakeholders from 65 clubs, leagues, and federations. With the theme “Where Football Innovation Meets Legacy”, the summit underscored Africa’s evolving football identity and its integration into global structures — especially as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
“What we’ve witnessed in Rabat these past two days has been truly historic. This summit has not only showcased Morocco’s growing leadership in global football but has created tangible pathways for African football to accelerate its development through meaningful partnerships,” said WFS Co-Founder and Managing Director Jan Alessie. UM6P President Hicham El Habti added, “WFS Rabat is a natural extension of our commitment to rethinking development models through knowledge, innovation, and continental collaboration. We are reinforcing Morocco’s and Africa’s capacity to lead with ideas, shape with values, and build ecosystems where excellence is cultivated and shared.” Moderated by Mimi Fawaz, the WFS Honors Ceremony spotlighted the following individuals and institutions transforming football:
• Académie Mohammed VI: local grassroots strategy to develop sport
• Frédéric Kanouté: exemplary achievements in football & beyond
• OCP Group: social & community impact through sports
• FRMF: exceptional development in women’s football
• African Club Association (ACA): uniting African football
Across two days, high-level discussions delved into pressing issues facing African football, including talent retention, financial sustainability, and governance reform. Notable voices included FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaa on Morocco’s vision for the 2030 World Cup, Nigerian Sports Minister Shehu Dikko on sustainability in African football, FIFA Regional Director Gelson Fernandes on football governance pathways, and Confederation of African Football (CAF) Director of Tournaments Samson Adamu on innovation in competition formats. The summit’s attendees included representatives from FIFA, CAF, ECA, and executives from organizations like LALIGA, FC Barcelona, and the NBA who participated in dialogues on cross-continental collaboration. Corporate partners including Royal Air Maroc and TAQA played pivotal roles in the summit’s execution, underscoring the importance of public-private alliances in the sustainable development of sport.
The World Football Summit series continues throughout 2025 with editions in Monterrey on June, Hong Kong on September, Madrid on October, and Riyadh on December. For full schedules and registration, visit: www.WorldFootballSummit.com.
