The Africa Cup of Nations will be held every four years instead of every two years starting in 2028, a change aimed at harmonizing the global soccer calendar, African Football Confederation (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe announced on Saturday.
This change is part of a drive to restructure football on the African continent so that its “calendar is more harmonized with the rest of the world,” said Patrice Motsepe. “In 2027, we will go to Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda (the three host countries, editor’s note), and the next AFCON will take place in 2028,” the CAF boss told reporters in Rabat on Saturday, on the eve of the opening match of the 2025 edition hosted by Morocco.
A new competition, based on the model of the UEFA Nations League and to be held annually from 2029, will also be created. “
After the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029, we will have the first African Nations League… with more prize money, more resources, more competition,” explained Patrice Motsepe.
“Under this arrangement, the AFCON will now take place every four years,” he concluded. The Africa Cup of Nations has been held every two years since its inception in 1957, but over the past 15 years, its positioning in the global calendar has often been problematic.