Africa: A Year of Significant Football Events in 2025

In 2025, African teams will participate in thrilling CAF competitions and major global FIFA tournaments.

The upcoming year of 2025 promises to be a memorable time for fans of African football as CAF organizes a series of captivating competitions, and African teams participate in major FIFA tournaments. From the prestigious TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to youth championships and club tournaments, fans can expect a packed schedule.

CAF Competitions The first event will be the TotalEnergies African Nations Champions (CHAN), which will take place in countries Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from February 1 to 28. This tournament will gather athletes playing in their national leagues.

The flagship CAF event, the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), will take center stage from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco, where the strongest national teams of the continent will meet.

Before the men's AFCON, the women's Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will also be held in Morocco from July 5 to 26. Twelve of the continent's top women's teams will compete for the championship title, reflecting the growing influence of women's football in Africa.

Youth football will take the spotlight with the U-17 AFCON, hosted by Morocco from March 30 to April 19, and the U-20 AFCON in Côte d'Ivoire from April 26 to May 25, which will also serve as qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 and U-20 World Cups.

In club competitions, the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, and CAF Women’s Champions League will continue to captivate audiences, ending with the CAF Super Cup, where the winners of the Champions League and Confederation Cup face off.

African Teams in FIFA Tournaments Subsequently, Africa will be represented on the global stage in FIFA tournaments, starting with the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA from June 14 to July 13. "Al Ahly", "ES Tunis", "Mamelodi Sundowns", and "Wydad AC" will compete against global giants, such as "Manchester City" and "Real Madrid".

The short Beach Soccer World Cup tournament will take place in Seychelles from May 1 to 11, where "Senegal" and "Mauritania" will contend for supremacy on the sands.

Meanwhile, the expanded FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and U-17 World Cup will occur in Morocco (in October) and Qatar (in November), while Africa's journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup intensifies with qualifiers scheduled for March, September, and October 2025.

With such a diverse lineup of tournaments, 2025 becomes a significant stage for African teams both continentally and globally.