December 19 – The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco will be staged from December 21 to January 18, 2026, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed.
The confederation’s executive committee rubber-stamped the decision to move the flagship tournament to winter as the 32-team Club World Cup expanded to be held in the United States next summer.
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was supposed to be played mid-year to reduce club-versus-country choice for players, but the switch will again see partial calendar overlap with the European club season. The January finish, however, would leave the expanded UEFA Champions League largely untouched.
“The announcement of the AFCON date in Morocco 2025 took longer than expected, due to complex and at times challenging negotiations with various interested parties in light of the extensive international and domestic match calendar,” said CAF president Patrice Motsepe. in the past
The recent Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in Ivory Coast and Cameroon were both held earlier in the year.
The 2023 final was considered a commercial success and Morocco will look to build on that success to showcase their hosting credentials as the country begins long preparations for the 2030 World Cup which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Uruguay. and Paraguay.
After South Africa in 2010, Morocco will become the second African country to host the quadrennial Games.
In 2026, the North African nation will also host the Women’s Cup of Nations final.
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