Africa Cup of Nations to Transition to Quadrennial Format from 2028
The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will transition to a quadrennial format starting in 2028, as announced by Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Traditionally held every two years since 1968, with a brief hiatus between the 2012 and 2013 tournaments, Afcon will now occur every four years following the 2027 edition in East Africa.
Motsepe also introduced the establishment of an African Nations League, which will be held annually beginning in 2029. "We have the most exciting new structure for African football," he stated, emphasizing the need for a more synchronized global football calendar.
In addition to the format change, CAF has increased the prize money for the Afcon winners from $7 million to $10 million. This announcement came during a meeting of CAF's executive committee in Morocco, ahead of the 2025 finals scheduled to begin on Sunday in Rabat.
The biennial scheduling of Afcon has historically conflicted with the European club season, prompting CAF to aim for a June-July timeframe from 2019 onward, a plan initiated during the tournament held in Egypt that year. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and adverse weather conditions in host nations led to the 2021 and 2023 tournaments in Cameroon and Ivory Coast being held in January and February, respectively.
This year's Afcon in Morocco will notably take place over the Christmas and New Year holidays, culminating in the final on January 18. The dates for the 2027 finals in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have yet to be announced, followed closely by another Afcon in 2028, with the host nation still to be determined.
Following this transition, Africa's premier football tournament will align its schedule with the European Championships, occurring every four years. Motsepe confirmed that this decision was made in collaboration with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafstrom.
More updates will follow.