Footballers Marrakech Real Estate Investment Boom

In Marrakech, footballers no longer come solely to enjoy the sunshine. For several years now, the red city has become one of their preferred retreats, combining vacations, padel, private evenings and property investments.

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According to L’Équipe, the city has established itself as a sort of relaxation capital for many players. In early June, a padel tournament brought together several well-known football names, including Samir Nasri, Mamadou Niang, Robert Pirès, Javier Pastore, Javier Saviola, Clément Grenier and Jérémy Ménez.

The phenomenon is not limited to former players who passed through Ligue 1. Padel has become a true trend in Marrakech. In the evening, when the heat drops, Younès Belhanda and Youssef El-Arabi are among those you can find on the courts. El-Arabi even launched a five-a-side football complex near Marrakech’s main stadium.

Marrakech, between padel and real estate

But the real turning point lies in real estate. Medhi Benatia was one of the first Moroccan footballers to bet on M Avenue, a high-end project inaugurated in late 2021. The former captain of the Atlas Lions bought two apartments there and drew other football names in his wake, including his agent Moussa Sissoko and Ousmane Dembélé.

For Benatia, Marrakech has a clear advantage: the city remains more accessible than Dubai, while offering a secure framework for investment, provided it is done properly, with notaries, contracts and serious advice. Mustapha Hadji defends the same idea. The former Moroccan international is among the pioneers, with investments launched as early as 2007 in the Argan Golf sector.

The city is now expanding in several directions. La Palmeraie is no longer alone in attracting buyers. Hivernage, Guéliz, the Tahnaout road or the Amizmiz road are seeing residences, villas and construction sites flourish. Players like Amine Harit, and even Medhi Benatia’s entourage, are cited among those participating in this dynamic.

This rush has a direct effect on prices. In Guéliz, the square meter now reaches 2,800 to 3,000 euros, roughly twice as much as before Covid. On certain titled plots accessible to non-Moroccans, the hectare is said to have jumped from 45,000 euros in 2023 to 180,000 euros today as soon as the land is paved.

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Marrakech therefore remains a leisure destination, but it has become much more than that for footballers. Between business, real estate and lifestyle, the city is establishing itself as an investment as much as a refuge.