"Ways to Enjoy Soccer in Rabat, Morocco" by Lulu von Sauer
As both a player and a fan, one of the most enjoyable parts of living in Morocco has been experiencing its strong soccer culture. Whether it’s casual games on the beach, organized matches at local courts near my apartment, or watching national and club teams play, soccer is a visible and vibrant part of everyday life here.
At Plage de Rabat, the city’s main sandy beach, there are always groups of people passing a ball around or setting up spontaneous games with makeshift lines in the sand. Bringing my soccer ball down to the beach has become one of my favorite routines, there’s almost always someone ready to join in, making it an easy and fun way to meet people.
I have also been playing in more organized soccer games around the city. Rabat–Salé has over 30 public outdoor courts that are easy to reserve for a casual match with friends. Using the Rabat Animation app, you can zoom in on the map to choose a court and book it for an hour. It typically costs around 60 dirhams, about 6 U.S. dollars.
Also while here I have enjoyed watching both national team and club soccer. The Moroccan national team is one of the best in the world right now and are preparing for the 2026 world cup in the United States. I was lucky enough to watch them play in world cup qualifiers in their brand new stadium in Rabat that has over 70,000 persons capacity. The tickets are also relatively cheap compared to watching a soccer game in the US or in Europe and can sell for as low as 100 Dirham, 10 USD.
Lastly, club soccer is also very big in Morocco. The biggest team in Rabat is ASFAR, also known as the military team. The games can be very intense however because the ultras go all out. The two biggest clubs in Morocco's top soccer division, the Botola Pro league, are Raja and Wydad - both from Casablanca. The rivalry between these two teams is incredibly intense and at times even violent. I was lucky enough to attend the Casablanca Derby - which was when Raja and Wydad played each other, which rarely happens because their supporters are rivals and they share a stadium.
Buying tickets for national and club soccer games in Morocco is easy and affordable through an app called WEBOOK. However, unlike in the U.S., game schedules and ticket sales are typically announced only about a week in advance, which can make planning ahead a bit tricky.
Lulu von Sauer is an American University and studied abroad in the Fall 2025 on Amideast’s Regional Studies in French program in Rabat, Morocco.
