Rabat: Mohammed VI Football Academy, described as a “Complex Geared Towards Excellence” by an Argentine daily, is a multidisciplinary facility that seamlessly merges athletic training, technical development, and medical-scientific support, as highlighted by the Academy’s director, Hassan Kharbouch.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the Academy, inaugurated in March 2010, has evolved into the epicenter of Moroccan football. Situated near Rabat, the sprawling 35-hectare site accommodates Morocco’s 27 national teams, including men’s, women’s, futsal, and beach soccer teams, catering to players from U-13 squads to senior selections.
The Academy boasts 11 pitches, which include natural grass, hybrid, and FIFA-certified synthetic surfaces. Additionally, it features five accommodation buildings with a total capacity of 510 beds, complemented by dining facilities, fitness and recovery spaces, and leisure areas.
The standout feature of the complex is its 7,500 m² medical-sports unit, equipped with advanced facilities for rehabilitation, physiotherapy, radiology, ultrasound, cryotherapy, as well as nutritional and psychological medicine. “It is a place designed for high performance and to support athletes at every stage of their journey,” remarked Kharbouch.
The Academy is also committed to environmental sustainability, utilizing rainwater collection, wastewater treatment, and solar and photovoltaic energy to minimize its ecological impact.
The facility symbolizes Morocco’s burgeoning influence in the sports arena, having hosted Real Madrid in 2023 during the FIFA Club World Cup and serving as the headquarters for FIFA’s Africa office since 2024. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has ranked the Academy “among the three best in the world.”
Beyond the state-of-the-art infrastructure, Kharbouch highlighted the national program that complements this project: the construction of 145 pitches across the country for young players, the establishment of 13 regional academies, and the Mohammed VI Academy itself, which educates 155 talents in a sport-studies track. Notably, international stars such as Nayef Aguerd, Azzedine Ounahi, and Youssef En-Nesyri have emerged from its ranks.
The results are evident: a historic fourth place in the 2022 World Cup, the U-23 African title and an Olympic bronze medal in 2024, the U-17 continental crown in 2025, along with the rise of women’s football and futsal, with Morocco being crowned men’s African champions in local-player competitions and recent continental winners on the women’s side.