AFCON 2025 guide: When it starts, who’s playing and the records on the line

Africa’s biggest football tournament is almost here. In just under 100 days, the 35th edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco, with 24 teams contesting 52 matches across nine stadiums.

The opening game is set for 21 December at Rabat’s Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah, which will also stage the final on 18 January.

The Kingdom hosts AFCON for the first time in 37 years, returning to centre stage after staging recent CAF events with acclaim.

Defending champions Côte d’Ivoire arrive as the team to beat, while Egypt — the tournament’s most decorated side with seven titles — chase an eighth crown.

The field is deep: among the 24 contenders are 12 previous winners, underscoring the competition’s breadth of pedigree.

Format at a glance

AFCON 2025 sticks to the now familiar 24-team structure: six groups of four will produce 36 group fixtures before the knockouts.

From there, the tournament funnels into a last-16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, promising near-daily drama over four festive-season weeks.

Nine modern venues spread across Morocco will host the action, headlined by Rabat’s showpiece stadium.

Stars and stakes

The cast list is box-office. Expect leading men from Europe’s top leagues alongside breakout names aiming to turn a continental stage into a global springboard.

Samuel Eto’o remains AFCON’s all-time top scorer with 18 goals — a marker today’s elite will eye but rarely threaten over a single edition.

The narrative threads are rich: can the champions defend, will record-holders Egypt reassert dominance, and which outsider surges from a tightly packed middle tier?

Why this edition matters

A December–January schedule places AFCON at the heart of the global football calendar, with peak viewership expected through the holidays.

Morocco’s infrastructure — from stadiums to transport — should deliver noise-heavy atmospheres and smooth logistics, important ingredients for a competition that increasingly sets digital and broadcast records.

With 52 matches to be played, momentum will be everything; quick starts in the group phase often separate title hopefuls from those merely surviving.

Key numbers to know

• 35th edition of AFCON

• 24 teams, 12 previous champions

• 52 matches, 36 in the group stage

• 9 stadiums across Morocco

• Opening match: 21 December, Rabat

• Final: 18 January, Rabat

• Defending champions: Côte d’Ivoire

• Most titles: Egypt (7)

• All-time top scorer: Samuel Eto’o (18)

As the countdown clicks into double digits, anticipation is surging from Casablanca to Cairo and beyond.

AFCON 2025 promises heavyweights, heart-stoppers and new heroes — a month where Africa’s game takes centre stage and the continent’s best write the next chapter of a storied tournament.