When is the next Africa Cup of Nations after 2025?

After the 2025 edition, the next Africa Cup of Nations will be held in 2027, before moving to a four-year cycle from 2032 onwards.

What is the CAF Nations League?

The CAF Nations League is a new tournament introduced by the Confederation of African Football to provide regular competition between AFCON tournaments, starting in 2029.

Why is AFCON changing to a four-year cycle?

The change aims to better synchronize AFCON with the global football calendar and align it with other major continental championships like the Copa America and European Championship.

Home / Sports / AFCON schedule updated with Nations League debut

AFCON schedule updated with Nations League debut

21 Dec

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Summary

Africa Cup of Nations will move to a four-year cycle after 2025.
A new CAF Nations League competition will be introduced in 2029.
The schedule change aims to better synchronize with the global football calendar.

AFCON schedule updated with Nations League debut

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a major overhaul of its flagship tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Currently held every two years, AFCON will transition to a four-year cycle following the 2025 edition. This strategic change, effective from 2027, aims to harmonize the tournament's schedule with the broader international football calendar and other major continental championships.

To maintain consistent competition and engagement for African nations, CAF will introduce a new Nations League. This tournament is slated to begin in 2029, the year after the final AFCON held on the previous schedule. The creation of the Nations League is intended to fill the void left by the extended AFCON cycle, adopting a model successfully implemented by UEFA and CONCACAF to reduce the number of international friendlies.