Arjun Menon
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off soon, and with it comes a prize pool that could set new records for the continent’s biggest football tournament. Money talks – here’s how it’s split.
The Total Purse
Exact figures aren’t public yet, but early reports suggest the prize money for AFCON 2025 will climb higher than the €57.25 million awarded in 2023. CAF has been pushing for bigger sponsorship deals, and the numbers reflect that.
Winner’s Share
The champion stands to earn around $7 million – a jump from the $5 million pocketed by Ivory Coast last time. Not bad for a month’s work.
Runner-Up and Beyond
The team finishing second should walk away with roughly $4 million. Semi-finalists? About $2.5 million.
Every team that reaches the quarterfinals earns at least $1.3 million. Group-stage exits? Still a cool $800,000 for showing up.
Performance Bonuses
Some federations sweeten the deal with extra incentives. Win a group-stage match, and the players might see a few thousand more. Reach the final? That bonus could hit six figures.
Maybe the real prize is the exposure – TV deals, sponsorships, and the chance to lure talent to European clubs. But the money helps.
| TOTALENERGIES AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa Cup of Nations Prize Money | |||
| Ranking | Prize Money Per Team ($) | Teams | Total Prize Money ($) |
| Winner | 7,000,000 | 1 | 7,000,000 |
| Runner up | 4,000,000 | 1 | 4,000,000 |
| Semi-finalist | 2,500,000 | 2 | 5,000,000 |
| 1/4 Finalists | 1,300,000 | 4 | 5,200,000 |
| 1/8 finalists | 800,000 | 8 | 6,400,000 |
| 3rd of Group | 700,000 | 2 | 1,400,000 |
| 4th of Group | 500,000 | 6 | 3,000,000 |
| Total | 24 | 32,000,000 | |
How It Compares
AFCON’s prize pool still lags behind the €440 million of the UEFA European Championship, but it’s catching up. The gap is closing – slowly.
One thing’s certain: by the time the final whistle blows in 2025, the financial landscape of African football will have shifted. Again.