Beyond its universally celebrated sporting dimension, the organization of the Africa Cup of Nations presents itself as a formidable economic laboratory for the host countries. A popular spectacle, a media showcase, and a tourist attraction, this competition mobilizes considerable resources, the budgetary implications of which fuel debates about the true legacy of these public investments. Between promises of economic benefits and demands for budgetary discipline, the AFCON rises to the status of an event that is as strategic as it is demanding.

The example of Cameroon in 2021 offered a striking illustration of this phenomenon. The government there committed nearly $885 million to modernize roads, hotels, airports, and construct new sports facilities. The Olembé Stadium in Yaoundé cost $280 million, while the Japoma Stadium in Douala cost an additional $240 million. While this spending certainly boosted certain sectors, with marked growth in tourism and hospitality, it occurred within a generally difficult economic context where the net contribution to the national GDP remained modest, highlighting that the opportunistic nature of such investments can reduce the resources available for other priorities.

In 2023, Côte d'Ivoire allocated approximately $1 billion to infrastructure projects, including the construction and renovation of stadiums and road improvements around host cities. This was accompanied by an estimated impact of over $1.5 billion on the local economy, illustrating the powerful economic leverage such a competition can provide, although the sustainability of these benefits depends on the ability to reuse infrastructure and maintain investor confidence.

The 2025 edition in Morocco, currently underway, confirms the growing scale of these commitments. Local projections anticipate economic benefits ranging from 4.5 to 12 billion dirhams, driven by the influx of visitors, spending on accommodation, food, and transportation, as well as the increased activity of ancillary services. This range reflects the desire to leverage the competition as a catalyst for growth, while capitalizing on infrastructure investments and the host country's enhanced international exposure. However, it also underscores that the net contribution to GDP remains uncertain and that budgetary transparency is essential to ensuring the credibility of these projections.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football has significantly increased the prize money paid to participating teams. The winner of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will see their reward rise to $10 million, compared to $7 million in 2023 and $5 million in 2021, marking a surge in the value placed on sporting performance and illustrating the growing financial importance of the competition.

For states, these commitments represent a complex political choice. On the one hand, investments allow for the modernization of sometimes outdated infrastructure, attract capital, and stimulate diverse economic sectors. On the other hand, they place a burden on public finances in the short term and need to be integrated into sustainable development strategies to prevent costly facilities from becoming "dormant assets" once the competitive fervor subsides. The issue of international credibility adds to this dilemma, as transparency regarding costs and benefits is essential to maintaining the confidence of donors and markets.

The question of economic legacy remains central. Beyond brand-new stadiums and renovated roads, it is the host economies' ability to convert continental attention into lasting benefits that determines the balance between expenditures and long-term gains. In a context where some administrations prioritize budgetary transparency while others remain more opaque about the actual costs incurred, organizing the Africa Cup of Nations proves to be as much an exercise in financial management as it is a major sporting celebration.

It is in this tension between ambition and discipline that the Africa Cup of Nations presents itself as a powerful economic indicator, an event which, at each edition, tests the ability of African states to combine international influence, rigor of public finances and sustainability of the benefits.

However, the repercussions on the population suggest a more nuanced picture. The immediate benefits of the competition do not always translate into tangible improvements in the daily lives of citizens, particularly the most vulnerable. In Morocco, in the fall of 2025, protests erupted following a tragedy at Hassan II Hospital in Agadir, where several patients lost their lives in circumstances denounced as indicative of the deterioration of the public healthcare system. These mobilizations, led notably by the youth collective GenZ 212, highlighted the contrast between massive investments in sports infrastructure for the Africa Cup of Nations and the neglect of essential social services. This disparity illustrates the social dilemma, because while the competition generates tourism revenue and international visibility, it can also exacerbate feelings of injustice among those whose basic needs are relegated to the sidelines of event-driven priorities. The economic legacy of the AFCON must therefore be assessed not only in terms of growth and investment, but also through its ability to meet the daily expectations of the most vulnerable populations.