Arjun Menon
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025), officially titled the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, will be the 35th edition of Africa’s most prestigious international football tournament. Organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the competition will be hosted by Morocco for the second time, following its previous hosting role in 1988.
AFCON 2025 will take place from Sunday 21 December 2025 to Sunday 18 January 2026, marking the first time the tournament is played across the Christmas and New Year period. The revised schedule comes as a direct consequence of FIFA’s expanded 32-team Club World Cup, alongside increased fixture congestion in European competitions.
AFCON 2025 Format and Key Details
The tournament will feature 24 national teams competing across 52 matches in nine stadiums throughout Morocco. Ivory Coast enter the competition as defending champions, while traditional heavyweights such as Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, and Nigeria are once again expected to challenge for the title.
This edition was originally earmarked for Guinea, but CAF stripped the country of its hosting rights due to insufficient progress in preparations. Following a second bidding process, Morocco was officially confirmed as host on 27 September 2023.
UK Broadcasting: Channel 4 Secures Historic Free-to-Air Rights
In a landmark deal, Channel 4 has secured exclusive UK broadcasting rights to the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2025. This marks the first time the entire tournament will be available free-to-air in the United Kingdom.
All 52 matches will be broadcast live across Channel 4’s platforms, including:
- Channel 4
- E4
- 4Seven
- Channel 4 Streaming
- Channel 4 Sport YouTube
The festive scheduling means fans can enjoy elite international football during a period when domestic Premier League coverage is traditionally reduced.
Premier League Stars to Feature at AFCON 2025
The tournament will showcase some of the Premier League’s biggest names. Among the expected participants are Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United), and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham).
Egypt, the tournament’s most successful nation, will open their campaign against Zimbabwe on 22 December before facing South Africa on 26 December, with both matches available live on Channel 4.
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MENA Coverage: beIN Sports Delivers Wall-to-Wall Access
For viewers across the Middle East and North Africa, beIN SPORTS remains the undisputed home of African football. The broadcaster will provide comprehensive AFCON 2025 coverage via four dedicated beIN SPORTS MAX channels in Arabic, English, and French.
Subscribers can expect up to 15 hours of live studio coverage per day, extensive on-site reporting across nine venues, and in-depth analysis from leading regional presenters and pundits.
Coverage begins on 18 December, with pre-tournament programming launching a week earlier. All 52 matches will be broadcast live, alongside daily news bulletins, digital highlights, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
AFCON 2025 Worldwide Broadcasters
CAF has confirmed an extensive global broadcast footprint for AFCON 2025. Key rights holders include:
- Algeria – EPTV
- Angola – Televisão Pública de Angola
- Belgium – Tipik (TV channel), La Une
- Benin – Bénin TV
- Burkina Faso – RTB TV
- Cameroon – CRTV Sports, Canal 2 Internacional
- Canada – beIN Sports
- Colombia – Win Sports
- Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden – Viaplay
- France – beIN Sports France
- Germany – Sportdigital
- Equatorial Guinea – TVGE
- Ireland – Channel 4
- Ivory Coast – RTI, Canal+ Afrique
- Mali – ORTM
- Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – beIN Sports
- Morocco – SNRT
- Niger – Tele Sahel
- Nigeria – BON, NTA
- Portugal – sport tv
- Spain – Movistar
- South Africa – SABC Sport
- Sub-Saharan Africa – SuperSport
- Tanzania – Azam Sports
- Togo – New World TV
- Uganda – NBC Sport
- Ukraine, Poland, Kazakhstan – Megogo
- United Kingdom – Channel 4
- United States – beIN Sports
- Zambia – ZNBC
Additional national broadcasters include SABC Sport (South Africa), SNRT (Morocco), NTA and BON (Nigeria), and RTI (Ivory Coast).
AFCON 2025 Opening Match
The tournament kicks off on 21 December 2025, with hosts Morocco facing Comoros in Rabat at 22:00 MECCA time, setting the stage for a month of elite African international football.
Final Thoughts
With free-to-air coverage in the UK, comprehensive global broadcasting, and a star-studded line-up of players, AFCON 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most accessible and widely viewed editions in the tournament’s history. Whether you’re watching for national pride, tactical intrigue, or festive football action, Morocco 2025 promises unmissable drama.