The African Cup of Nations is one of the most exciting tournaments in world football, and as such, regularly attracts huge interest from fans all over the world.
Qualification for the competition is complete and we now know which teams will be battling it out next year for the coveted prize.
Fans will be able to see the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane on the pitch as the hype for the tournament slowly begins to increase.
Here is your ultimate guide to AFCON 2025, including the teams that have qualified and the hosting stadiums.
AFCON 2025: Your ultimate guide
Where and when is AFCON 2025 being held?
For the second time in their history and the first time since 1988, AFCON will be heading to Morocco in 2025.
The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists' bid to host the tournament was part of a dramatic process, as several rival bids from other countries were either dismissed or withdrawn just hours before the final vote.
It is a fantastic occasion for the country after they were unable to host in 2015 due to the ebola crisis that shook the world.
The tournament will take place between 21 December 2025 and 18 January 2026.
🚨 The dates have been announced. 🚨
🏆 TotalEnergies AFCON 2025
📍Morocco
📆 Opening game: 21 December 2025
📆 Final game: 18 January 2026. pic.twitter.com/N11JAeDjSe— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) June 21, 2024
What stadiums are hosting AFCON 2025
One of the most fascinating aspects of any international tournament is the stadiums that have been selected to host matches – AFCON 2025 is no different.
The tournament will be hosted in six cities, using one ground in each. Locations such as Rabat, the country's capital, and the wonderful Marrakesh will undoubtedly be two of the most in-demand venues among fans.
A full list of the six hosting stadiums and their respective capacities is as follows:
| City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Agadir |
Adrar Stadium |
45,480 |
| Casablanca |
Mohammed V Stadium |
45,891 |
| Fez |
Fez Stadium |
45,000 |
| Marrakesh |
Marrakesh Stadium |
45,240 |
| Rabat |
Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium |
53,000 |
| Tangier |
Ibn Batouta Stadium |
65,000 |
Many of these grounds are still being built at the time of writing and will also be used as venues at the Morocco 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Which teams have qualified for AFCON 2025?
There will be 24 teams at AFCON, all of which have confirmed their spots at the tournament, with the qualifying phase now complete.
Two of the potential standout teams are Morocco and Senegal, both of which have performed excellently on the global stage in recent World Cups. While the likes of Egypt, Nigeria and Ivory Coast all possess huge talent within their sides.
A full breakdown of the 24 teams to have qualified for the tournament is as follows:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Comoros
- DR Congo
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Ivory Coast
- Nigeria
- Mali
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
24/24. The plane to #AFCON2025 is ready to take off! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/0IQ14QKOKQ
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 19, 2024
AFCON 2025 format
While the fixtures and match dates have yet to be announced, information on the tournament's format and structure is readily available.
As is perhaps expected, AFCON 2025 will begin with a group stage consisting of six groups, each containing four teams. The top two sides in each group will then automatically advance to the knockout rounds and will be joined by the best four third-placed teams in the group stage.
At this stage, it gets a little trickier to understand as the exact structure of the Round of 16 stage depends on which third-placed teams qualify. There are almost countless possibilities. However, all winners of their groups will be drawn against either a runner-up or a third-placed qualifier.
From there, a bracket system will be in place as teams battle it out in each progressive round, with the last two standing reaching the AFCON 2025 final. This match will take place in Rabat at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
How to watch AFCON 2025
While ticket information for AFCON 2025 has yet to be released, many fans will miss out and be forced to enjoy the spectacle from afar. Fear not, however, as the competition will almost certainly be broadcast live in the United Kingdom.
It is unclear at this stage whether SkySports, TNT Sports or a different broadcaster will win the rights to the tournament, but this article will be updated with that information once confirmed.