2025 AFCON dates announced

The next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be held in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe, announced this following a virtual executive committee meeting at their Cairo headquarters on Friday evening.

Originally set for June and July 2025, the tournament was rescheduled to avoid clashing with the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States, which will take place from 15 June to 13 July 2025.

Additionally, CAF aimed to avoid overlapping with the UEFA Champions League dates. The group stage of the elite European club competition concludes on 11 December 2025, while the knockout stage begins on 21 January 2026, ensuring that AFCON does not conflict with these important fixtures.

“I am confident that the CAF AFCON Morocco 2025 will be extremely successful and the best AFCON in the history of this competition,” Motsepe said.

However, the new dates are sure to upset many Premier League clubs as the Christmas-New Year period is frenetic with teams playing many matches in a short period.

English media reports have suggested clubs might not release African stars as they are compelled to do so for only one international championship per year and the next World Cup is in 2026.

CAF could argue that it is the 2025 AFCON, although most of the tournament will be staged the following year. Finding suitable dates for the AFCON, a 24-nation tournament won by hosts the Ivory Coast last February, has become increasingly difficult.

A switch to mid-year worked for the 2019 edition in the searing heat of Egypt in so far as it avoided a clash with the European club seasons.