Cairo, Egypt – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced a significant shakeup to their tournament schedule on Friday, postponing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals to December 21st, 2025, running until January 18th, 2026.
Originally slated for a mid-year kickoff in Morocco, the tournament clashes with FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup, a 32-team event scheduled for June and July in the United States. This presented a scheduling dilemma, forcing CAF to accommodate both competitions.
A domino effect impacted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations as well, with the Moroccan-hosted event also being pushed back – its new dates are July 5th to 26th, 2026. CAF President Patrice Motsepe acknowledged the complexities of balancing the international calendar, stating, “The announcement… took longer than expected due to discussions with various parties.” He emphasized CAF’s commitment to protecting the interests of African players competing in leagues worldwide while fostering strong relationships with other football governing bodies.
The decision to hold the 2025 AFCON finals in December aims to avoid a clash with Europe’s expanded Champions League schedule. Originally planned to boost Morocco’s summer tourism and showcase their co-bid for the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain, the tournament will now take place during the winter months.
The 2025 Cup of Nations qualifiers will proceed as planned, with a quick-fire series of matches taking place in the September, October, and November international windows this year. However, the 24 qualified teams will now face a longer wait before the finals kick off in December 2025.
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