The next Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Patrice Motsepe said on Friday. "I am confident that the CAF AFCON Morocco 2025 will be extremely successful and the best AFCON in the history of this competition," he stated.

CAF conducted a virtual executive council at their Cairo headquarters on Friday evening, after which Motsepe made the announcement.

The AFCON was originally set for June and July 2025, but has been shifted to avoid a clash with the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States, which will take place from June 15 to July 13 next year.

An added challenge for CAF officials was the desire to avoid a clash of dates with the UEFA Champions League in Europe.

Matchday six of the elite European club competition ends on December 11 2025 and matchday seven begins on January 21 2026.

However, the new dates are expected to upset many Premier League clubs, given the Christmas-New Year season is hectic, with teams playing a lot of games in a short period.

According to English media sources, clubs may refuse to release African players because they are only required to do so for one international tournament per year, with the next World Cup scheduled for 2026.

CAF might claim that it is the 2025 AFCON, although most of the tournament will take place the next year.

Finding suitable dates for the AFCON, a 24-nation tournament won by hosts the Ivory Coast in February, has grown more challenging.