The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is scheduled to occur from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 in Morocco.
The 2025 edition was initially planned as a tournament in the middle of the year, aimed at minimizing scheduling issues with European clubs and events.
The summer event aimed to enhance tourism and showcase Morocco’s attractions ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
However, it was moved to December to accommodate FIFA’s enlarged Club World Cup, which takes place in the summer.
Starting in December instead of January will prevent clashes with the Champions League and Europa League, which resume on 20 and 22 January, respectively.
This will be the inaugural occasion for AFCON to take place during this period, featuring games in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier, and Fez.
No matches are scheduled for December 25.
Players taking part in AFCON were freed from their clubs on 15 December.
This implies that teams have had merely a week to get ready before the tournament starts, igniting frustration among coaches who are faced with a limited timeframe to prepare their squads.
Angola’s coach Patrice Beaumelle described the situation as “nonsense” and stated that “it’s impossible to prepare a serious team in merely two or three sessions.”
The most recent summer edition of AFCON took place in 2019, which was organized by Egypt.
In the past few years, the competition has taken place from January to February.
Why AFCON is traditionally held in the winter
AFCON is usually organized during the winter months, mainly in January and February, due to the unpredictable African climate.
In certain countries, summer may bring rainy seasons and extreme heat, impacting football fields and playing conditions.
The winter season, in contrast, offers drier weather and consistent temperatures, creating perfect playing conditions.
The 2023 edition set for the Ivory Coast was originally planned for summer 2022 but was rescheduled for early the next year due to weather issues.
Taking place in winter allows AFCON to steer clear of overlaps with other international football competitions that usually occur during the summer.
However, this has led to disputes with European clubs that must now release players during the season.
Why AFCON has been staged every two years
The Africa Cup of Nations has historically occurred every two years. When it started in 1957, African teams did not have a guaranteed spot in the World Cup.
Throughout the years, an increasing number of African countries have taken part in the World Cup.
However, the consistency of AFCON guarantees a steady flow of income from both tournaments and tourism.
It also offers consistent chances for players and teams to compete.
In the future, AFCON will be held every four years rather than every two years, to align with other international football competitions.
In 2020, this concept was suggested by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
He also proposed simplifying AFCON to take place from September to November.
On Saturday, December 20, the day before this year’s AFCON, Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, declared that the tournament will occur every four years starting in 2028.
