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The 2026 World Cup kicks off on Thursday, bringing a unique challenge for Moroccan football fans and café owners alike. Hosted for the first time across three countries, the tournament will be played across time zones that are six to nine hours behind Morocco.
For Moroccan café owners, that is a significant concern. «We usually rely on major sporting events to help revive the sector, but unfortunately that will not really be the case for this World Cup», Noureddine El Harrak, president of the National Federation of Café and Restaurant Owners of Morocco (FNPCR), told Yabiladi on Thursday.
The main issue is the significant time difference. While a handful of matches will be played at relatively convenient hours, most of the tournament's fixtures will take place deep into the night. «We're talking about 3 a.m. or even 5 a.m. Moroccan time», El Harrak said.
The situation places café and restaurant owners in a difficult position. «It is very difficult for professionals to stay open until those hours, and the same goes for our employees», he said, adding: «It is also complicated for the fans themselves».
The challenge is not limited to late kick-off times. It also extends to café and restaurant opening hours. For now, El Harrak says no official measure or circular has been issued by the authorities. «Yet there is an implicit approval», he noted. «Meetings have taken place between local authorities and some branches of our federation in various provinces, and these discussions have encouraged café owners to show World Cup matches and remain open relatively late».
Betting on the Atlas Lions
What is reassuring, however, is that Morocco's three group-stage matches will be played at relatively manageable hours. «Morocco's matches will start at 11 p.m. and finish around 1 a.m., and most cafés will stay open for them», he said.
The time difference has even dampened the usual excitement that cafés and restaurants associate with major international tournaments.
«In previous editions, café owners would decorate their establishments, buy new televisions and make extensive preparations. This year, that is almost entirely absent, which shows just how much of an issue the scheduling has become», he regretted.
«We are mainly preparing for the Atlas Lions' group-stage matches», he added, noting that «there will be special menus and promotional offers». But El Harrak believes a successful run by Morocco could quickly change the mood among café owners and fans alike.
«Football has a special place in people's hearts. If the Atlas Lions advance, cafés will stay open, even for matches played in the early hours of the morning», he said.
He also reiterated the federation's position on certain practices that tend to emerge during major sporting events. «We oppose unjustified price increases during major sporting events. These tournaments are moments of joy and celebration, and such practices only spoil them», he said.
As for broadcasting rights, El Harrak said most café owners will rely on paid beIN SPORTS subscriptions, including special World Cup packages. In any case, he stressed, Morocco's matches will also be broadcast by the national broadcaster, ensuring that the Atlas Lions' games remain widely accessible to supporters.
