when is the next afcon

The next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the 2025 edition, scheduled from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 in Morocco.

Key dates at a glance

• Start date: 21 December 2025.

• End date (final): 18 January 2026.

• Host country: Morocco.

Why the timing changed

• The tournament was originally planned for mid-2025 but was moved to late December 2025–January 2026 to avoid a clash with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.

• Holding AFCON over the Christmas–New Year period is a first for the competition and is meant to ease scheduling pressure on European club seasons.

Future AFCON schedule notes

• CAF president Patrice Motsepe has confirmed that AFCON will move to a four‑year cycle starting from the 2028 edition, instead of the traditional every two years.

• This means after the Morocco tournament (2025–26 window), fans should expect the next edition in 2028 under the new quadrennial format.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.