Africa Cup of Nations 2025
The Africa Cup of Nations, also known as AFCON, will be held in Morocco in 2025. It is the 35th edition and the second time Morocco is hosting the tournament. On this website, you will find everything related to the Africa Cup 2025, such as where the Africa Cup is being held and when it is taking place.
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 | |
Host country | Morocco |
Dates | 21 December 2025 – 18 January 2026 |
Host cities | 6 |
Stadiums | 6 |
Teams | 24 |
Amount of games | 52 |
Where is the Africa Cup of Nations 2025?
The Africa Cup 2025 will be held in Morocco. On 22 September 2022, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that Guinea, which was initially awarded the Africa Cup, would no longer host the tournament. Consequently, a second election took place on 27 September 2023, during which the CAF chose Morocco’s bid. As a result, the Africa Cup will be played in these Moroccan cities.
When is the Africa Cup 2025 played?
The Africa Cup 2025 will take place from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. Specifically, the opening match is scheduled to occur on Sunday 21 December 2025, while the final will be held on Sunday 18 January 2026.
The tournament was originally scheduled for July and August 2025, but after discussions between the CAF and the Moroccan Football Federation, it was moved to the winter months. This change ensures that the Africa Cup will not coincide with the FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place from 15 June 2025 to 13 July 2025 in the United States.
Format of the Africa Cup
The format of the Africa Cup consists of two parts: the qualification phase and the main tournament.
The qualification phase is divided into a preliminary round and a group stage. The 8 lowest-ranked countries on the FIFA ranking play in the preliminary round. The 4 winners from the preliminary round are then added to the remaining 44 countries in the group stage.
The main tournament consists of a group stage and a knockout stage.
- Qualification
- Main tournament
- Group stage
- Knockout stage
Dates to watch
These dates are important to keep track of for the Africa Cup of Nations 2025.
- Preliminary round of Qualification: 20 – 26 March 2024.
- Qualification draw: 4 July 2024.
- Qualification: September to November 2024.
- Africa Cup draw: To Be Announced.
- Main tournament: 21 December 2025 – 18 January 2026.