Premier League clubs could prevent players from competing in AFCON as dates cut into festive calendar
The African Cup of Nations could be missing several big-name stars due to the new dates of the tournament.
The Confederation of African Football has confirmed that the competition will begin on December 21, 2025, four days before Christmas, and will conclude on January 18, 2026.
Morocco was due to host the event in the summer of 2025, but the tournament was movedand FIFA's scheduling for the 32-team Club World Cup is part of the reason.
The new dates cover the Premier League festive period and also miss out on Champions League match days at the end of that period.
This will put the AFCON in direct conflict with FIFA rules under which state clubs only have to release their players for one final representative “A” team competition per year, with the World Cup also scheduled for the summer of 2026.
That means Premier League clubs can block players from attending one of the two tournaments.
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe said the planning of the dates has been “complex” but believes the chosen calendar is in the best interests of the African stars.
He said: “The announcement of the dates took much longer than expected as there were complex and at times challenging discussions with various stakeholders, in light of the extensive domestic and international match schedules.
“CAF is committed to protecting and promoting the interests of African players playing for football clubs in Europe and around the world.
“CAF is also committed to building mutually beneficial relationships with the ECA (European Club Association), UEFA, other football confederations and FIFA.
2
“We will continue to make significant progress in developing and ensuring that African football is globally competitive and among the best in the world.
“I am sure that Morocco 2025 will be a great success and will be the best AFCON in the history of this competition.”
The last AFCON took place from January 13 to February 11 this year, and Ivory Coast beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final.
