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A new report released by CARMA, a global media intelligence provider, shows how Morocco’s perception has shifted thanks to its stellar performance during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – and as such, its global perception has improved on every level.
Despite the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 having ended a few months ago, new research shows its legacy is still very much being felt in Morocco.
As well as making headlines for their football prowess – they defied the odds to become the first ever Arab African side to reach the semi-finals, beating off Spain, Portugal and Belgium to make it to the final four, it was their actions off the pitch which gained them a raft of support from around the world.
Visibility for Morocco rose by 277% in key media outlets with a reach of 6.4 billion during the world cup, while social media posts relating to Morocco increased by 764% (a total of 12.1million posts).
Over 279k+ articles and posts were published around Morocco’s World Cup participation – with 64% of them about ‘overcoming the odds’, 22% around their mothers and respect for women and the rest around donating their earnings, family values and cultural values.
Google search trends related to Morocco increased by 273% after the tournament and Wikipedia page visits for the country went up by 453%.
Visits to tourism websites peaked (visitmorocco.com +34%), (Morocco.com +99%) (Tripadvisor Morocco +154%) and The Washington Post even ranked the country among the world's top destinations to visit in 2023.
Among the key drivers of this were family, overcoming the odds, charity and success, with the Moroccan football team dominating the headlines as one of the greatest underdog stories in the tournament’s history.
Sofia Tazi, Managing Director of CARMA North Africa commented on the findings: “Key themes in the media, as identified by CARMA, focused on the country’s social values: Their tenacity; their respect towards women and mothers; the players’ charitable acts donating their winnings to national associations to name a few, all helped raise the country’s perception from ‘normal’ to ‘excellent’.”
This was a team who pledged to donate all of their earnings to charity showing a selfless and generous nature, going against all the usual soccer stereotypes. They exemplified grace and humility throughout their matches, showed camaraderie with each other and with the audience, and exemplified a team spirit that would be tough to beat.
Even the enthusiastic Moroccan fans within the stadium became effective ambassadors to help promote Morocco’s identity and traditions worldwide.
Then there were the heart-warming viral images of the players celebrating their victory with their mothers and families. Nobody can forget Sofiane Boufal dancing with his mum on the pitch, as other players followed suit in emotional scenes. It was evident that family was more important than winning trophies for this squad.
Mazen Nahawi, Founder & CEO of CARMA and SOCIALEYEZ concluded: “Morocco's success was not only an underdog story, but also a testament to the unique values of the Moroccan team, such as family, love, resilience, and determination. These values were integral to the team's success and serve as an inspiration to other nations.”
The historic victory has constituted a real opportunity for the Kingdom: capitalise on the positive momentum and the surge in tourism and business, boosting the beloved ‘Made in Morocco’ slogan and making the Kingdom a key tourist destination for all.
