Morocco World Cup 2026: Cafés Open Only for Atlas Lions Matches
Due to the time difference with North America, café managers are giving up broadcasting matches of foreign teams during the World Cup. Only confrontations involving the Moroccan national team will benefit from exceptional opening hours.
The kick-off of the FIFA World Cup will take place on June 11 next in the United States, Canada and Mexico. This trans-Atlantic organization will impose particularly constraining broadcast schedules. Faced with matches scheduled at two or three in the morning, professionals in the restaurant sector have made their decision: they will keep their doors closed during late-night matches involving other nations.
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Broadcasting these foreign matches in the middle of the night faces major logistical and financial obstacles. A sector player based in Casablanca explains to Hespress that these openings would require specific authorizations to operate continuously. It would also be necessary to mobilize additional teams of employees, which would considerably increase the burden on owners. Above all, these late-night broadcasts would not generate sufficient public interest to offset costs.
The national team will, however, benefit from exclusive preferential treatment. Noureddine El Harrak, president of the National Federation of Café and Restaurant Owners (FNPCRM), assures that all means will be deployed to broadcast the matches of the Moroccan national team. Managers are committed to opening their establishments late into the night to allow fans to follow the progress of their players, with attendance guaranteed for these events.
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On the administration side, no restrictions have been notified to traders regarding closing times during the tournament. Representatives of the profession affirm that local authorities will be very accommodating to facilitate these targeted night openings. The approach aims to unite around the flag and support the national team, which all citizens, young and old, wish to see achieve excellent results.
