Football in Africa doesn't care about your standard European calendar. Honestly, keeping track of the schedule is a full-time job. If you’re asking when is Africa Cup of Nations, the answer depends entirely on which year you’re staring at.
We are currently in a bizarre limbo where the "2025" tournament is actually happening right now—sliding across the New Year like a sliding tackle you didn't see coming.
The 35th edition of the tournament, hosted by Morocco, officially kicked off on December 21, 2025. It is scheduled to run all the way through to the final on January 18, 2026. This isn't just another tournament; it's a massive logistical pivot that has basically rewritten the winter football schedule for anyone with a pulse in the scouting world.
The 2025 Schedule: Why It's Happening Now
For a long time, the plan was to play in the summer. It made sense on paper. Avoid the club-versus-country row, keep the European teams happy, and let the sun shine. Then FIFA dropped the expanded 32-team Club World Cup into the middle of the 2025 summer like a lead balloon.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe and his team had to pivot. They couldn't run two massive tournaments at the same time without cannibalizing their own viewership and exhausting the players. So, Morocco 2025 became a winter wonderland—well, as close to one as you get in North Africa.
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Key Dates for the Current Tournament
- Group Stages: Completed by December 31, 2025.
- Round of 16: January 3–6, 2026.
- Quarter-finals: January 9–10, 2026.
- Semi-finals: January 14, 2026.
- The Final: January 18, 2026, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Morocco is putting on a show across six cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes, and Tangier. If you've been following the scores, you already know the heavyweights are swinging. Nigeria, Egypt, and the defending champions Ivory Coast have been locked in some of the most intense matches we’ve seen in years.
Looking Ahead: When is Africa Cup of Nations 2027?
If you're already planning your next trip or wondering when the madness starts again, the 2027 edition is where things get even more interesting. This one is a historic triple-threat. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are co-hosting under the "Pamoja" (Together) bid.
It's the first time three countries have banded together for this, and it’s heading back to East Africa for the first time in over 50 years. Ethiopia was the last one in that region back in 1976.
The 2027 Calendar
- The Draw: The qualifying draw took place on December 19, 2025.
- Preliminary Rounds: These kick off in March 2026.
- Tournament Dates: CAF has slated the actual finals for June 19 to July 18, 2027.
Wait, did you catch that? They are trying to move it back to the summer.
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CAF is basically saying the December-January slot for Morocco was a one-off exception to play nice with FIFA. By 2027, they want to be back in that June/July window. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen—weather in East Africa during those months can be "challenging," to put it mildly.
The Club vs. Country Friction
You can't talk about the timing of AFCON without talking about the managers in the Premier League, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga losing their minds. When the tournament happens in January, players like Mohamed Salah, Victor Osimhen, and Mohammed Kudus vanish from their clubs for a month.
It’s a mess.
Clubs hate it. Fans of those clubs hate it. But for the players? Representing their nation in the biggest tournament on the continent is everything. You can see it in the way they play. The intensity is different. The stakes feel more personal.
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The move to the end of 2025 was a compromise. It avoids the peak of the heat in some regions while also dodging the 2026 World Cup preparations. But for 2027, the push for a summer slot is all about commercial viability and keeping the European clubs from benching African stars in fear of losing them mid-season.
Where to Watch and What to Do Next
If you are trying to catch the tail end of the current Morocco tournament, you need to be looking at beIN Sports or Canal+, depending on where you're sitting. For the US crowd, Fanatiz and Fubo often carry the feeds.
Pro-tip for the 2027 cycle:
If you’re planning to travel to East Africa for the Pamoja games, start looking at flights to Nairobi or Dar es Salaam at least 14 months out. These cities are going to be absolutely packed. The stadium upgrades in places like the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and the new builds in Hoima and Eldoret are already underway.
Keep an eye on the March 2026 international window. That's when the "road to 2027" officially begins with the preliminary qualifiers. It’s the first real chance to see which underdogs might make a run for the big stage.
Check the official CAF website for the live bracket updates as we head toward the final in Rabat this January 18. Everything is changing fast, but the talent on the pitch is staying as world-class as ever.