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FULL BREAKDOWN: ALL 52 AFCON FIXTURES, KNOCKOUT PATH, AND KEY GROUP BATTLES
The 2025 AFCON in Morocco promises drama! Get the full schedule, group breakdown, and see how the massive $32 million prize money will be distributed across the 24 teams.
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is coming to Morocco for the first time since 1988! The tournament, featuring 24 teams, will bring some excitement during the cooler months in North Africa.
Since 2019, the tournament has expanded. A lot of the top teams from the continent will be there, but Ghana won’t be, since they didn't make it through qualifications.
The Ivory Coast will try to keep its title after winning at home two years ago. You can always count on this tournament to have great stories and drama.
Here's a quick look at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations:
Start: Sunday, December 21, 2025
Final: Sunday, January 18, 2026
Where: Morocco—nine stadiums in six cities
Watch it on beIN Sport, SuperSport, Canal+, and others (TBD). (TBD).
Prizes: The winner gets $7 million. The total prize money is $32 million.
Who won last time?: Ivory Coast (2023)
2025 Africa Cup of Nations Schedule:
The first match is on Sunday, December 21, at the updated Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat. Morocco will play against Comoros.
After that, there are 51 more matches, with 24 teams in group and knockout rounds over the next month.
The final match will be on Sunday, January 18, at the same place in Rabat.
(Times are Moroccan, GMT+1, and could change.)
Group Stage
Sunday, December 21
Group A: Morocco vs. Comoros – 8:00 PM
Monday, December 22
Group A: Mali vs. Zambia – 3:00 PM
Group B: South Africa vs. Angola – 6:00 PM
Group B: Egypt vs. Zimbabwe – 9:00 PM
Tuesday, December 23
Group D: DR Congo vs Benin – 1:30 PM
Group D: Senegal vs. Botswana – 4:00 PM
Group C: Nigeria vs.Tanzania – 6:30 PM
Group C: Tunisia vs. Uganda – 9:00 PM
Wednesday, December 24
Group E: Burkina Faso vs. Equatorial Guinea – 1:30 PM
Group E: Algeria vs. Sudan – 4:00 PM
Group F: Ivory Coast vs. Mozambique – 6:30 PM
Group F: Cameroon vs. Gabon – 9:00 PM
Friday, December 26
Group B: Angola vs. Zimbabwe – 1:30 PM
Group B: Egypt vs. South Africa – 4:00 PM
Group A: Zambia vs. Comoros – 6:30 PM
Group A: Morocco vs. Mali – 9:00 PM
Saturday, December 27
Group D: Benin vs Botswana – 1:30 PM
Group D: Senegal vs. DR Congo – 4:00 PM
Group C: Uganda vs. Tanzania – 6:30 PM
Group C: Nigeria vs. Tunisia – 9:00 PM
Sunday, December 28
Group F: Gabon vs. Mozambique – 1:30 PM
Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs. Sudan – 4:00 PM
Group E: Algeria vs. Burkina Faso – 6:30 PM
Group F: Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon – 9:00 PM
Monday, December 29
Group B: Zimbabwe vs. South Africa – 5:00 PM
Group B: Angola vs Egypt – 5:00 PM
Group A: Zambia vs. Morocco – 8:00 PM
Group A: Comoros vs. Mali – 8:00 PM
Tuesday, December 30
Group C: Uganda vs Nigeria – 5:00 PM
Group C: Tanzania vs. Tunisia – 5:00 PM
Group D: Botswana vs. DR Congo – 8:00 PM
Group D: Benin vs. Senegal – 8:00 PM
Wednesday, December 31
Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria – 5:00 PM
Group E: Sudan vs. Burkina Faso – 5:00 PM
Group F: Gabon vs. Ivory Coast – 8:00 PM
Group F: Mozambique vs. Cameroon – 8:00 PM
Round of 16
Saturday, January 3
Match 37: Winner of Group D vs. Third of Groups B/E/F – 5:00 PM
Match 38: Second Group A vs. Second Group C – 8:00 PM
Sunday, January 4
Match 39: Winner of Group A vs. Third of Third of Groups C/D/E – 5:00 PM
Match 40: Second Group B vs Second Group F – 8:00 PM
Monday, January 5
Match 41: Winner of Group B vs. Third of Groups A/C/D – 5:00 PM
Match 42: Winner of Group C vs Third of Groups A/B/F – 8:00 PM
Tuesday, January 6
Match 43: Winner G Group E vs Winner of vs.Second Grvs.Second ofoup D – 5:00 PM
Match 44: Winner of Second of Group F vs. Winner of Second ofvs. Group E – 8:00 PM
Quarter-Finals
Friday, January 9
Match 45: Winner M38 vs Second of vs.Winner M37 – 5:00 PM
Match 46: Winner M40 vs. vs.vs.Winner M39 – 8:00 PM
Saturday, January 10
Match 47: Winner M43 vs Winner M42 – 5:00 PM
Match 48: Winner M41 vs.Winner M44 – 8:00 PM
Semi-Finals
Wednesday, January 14
Match 49: Winner M45 vs. Winner M48 – 6:00 PM
Match 50: Winner M47 vs. Winner M46 – 9:00 PM
Third-Place Playoff
Saturday, January 17
Match 51: Loser M49 vs. Loser M50 – 5:00 PM
Final
Sunday, January 18
Match 52: Winner M49 vs. Winner M50 – 8:00 PM
Teams and Groups
The 24 teams will fight for the title. They earned their spots through qualifiers that ended in November 2024, way before the finals.
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups moved on. The draw for the finals was in January 2025.
The 24 teams are in six groups with four teams in each.
How the Tournament Works
The teams in each group will play each other. The top two teams automatically move to the Round of 16.
The four best third-place teams will join them. Usually, three points is enough to get one of these spots.
If teams are tied on points, here's how it's decided: head-to-head results first, then goal difference in all group matches, then goals scored, and if it's still tied, they draw lots.
The knockout stage starts with the Round of 16 and goes until the final. If a match is tied, they'll play extra time and have a penalty shootout if needed.
There's also a third-place playoff match.
Venues
The games will be played in nine stadiums across six cities in Morocco:
Rabat: Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah (69 500)
Rabat: Stade Annexe Olympique Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah (21,000)
Rabat: Complexe Sportif Prince Hertitier Moulay El Hassan (22 000)
Rabat: Stade El Barid (18,000)
Casablanca: Stade Mohammed V (67 000)
Marrakech: Grand Stade de Marrakech (45 240)
Fès: Complexe Sportif de Fès (45,000)
Tangier: Grand Stade de Tanger (68 000)
Agadir: Grand Stade d’Agadir (45 480)
Prize Money and Sponsors
The winner of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 gets $7 million, which is a big jump from the $4 million in 2021.
Here’s how the prize money breaks down:
Winner: $7,000,000
Runner-up: $4,000,000
Semi-finalists: $2,500,000
Quarter-finalists: $1,300,000
Round of 16: $800,000
Third in Group: $700,000
Fourth in Group: $500,000
Total prize money: $32,000,000
CAF has sponsors for the event, with TotalEnergies as the main one. Others include VISA, PUMA, Orange, 1xBet, Royal Air Maroc, TECNO, QNET, Rexona, Danone, LONACI, Apsonic, Midea, AGL, Laughing Cow, Sidi Ali, and Suzuki.
History
The Africa Cup of Nations started in 1957, even before the European Championships! It began with just three teams: Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. South Africa was supposed to be the fourth, but they were kicked out because of apartheid.,
Over the years, the tournament has grown as more countries have become part of CAF.
By 1968, there were eight teams, and that stayed the same for a while.
In 1992, it grew to 12 teams, and they added a quarter-final stage for the first time. Then, in 1996, it jumped to 16 teams, which lasted for over 20 years.
Most recently, in 2019, the tournament went to 24 teams.
Egypt has won the most times, with seven titles. But their last win was in 2010, which was their third in a row after wins in 2006 and 2008. No other team has won three in a row.
Cameroon is next with five wins, followed by Ghana with four (but they haven't won since 1982 and didn't qualify this year). Nigeria and the Ivory Coast each have three wins.
There have been 15 different winners in total. Morocco, which is hosting this year, last won in 1976.
The Trophy
The current Africa Cup of Nations trophy has been used since 2002. It's the third trophy for the championship.
The first one, made of silver, was named after the first CAF president. Ghana got to keep it after winning for the third time in 1978.
Then came the African Unity Cup, which was used from 1980 to 2000. Cameroon won it three times.
The current trophy, gold-plated, was made in Italy and introduced in 2002. Even though Egypt won it three times between 2006 and 2010, they didn't get to keep it.
The Match Ball
The official match ball is made with PUMA’s Orbita 6 technology and is called ITRI. Its design is inspired by Morocco’s zellij art, known for its complicated geometric patterns.
WHY DID CRISTIANO RONALDO CRY? LUKA MODRIC EXPOSES JOSE MOURINHO’S HARSHEST LECTURE
Luka Modric reveals Jose Mourinho once reduced Cristiano Ronaldo to tears at Real Madrid for failing to track back defensively.
Luka Modric says that Jose Mourinho once gave Cristiano Ronaldo such a harsh lecture that the guy was in tears.
Ronaldo, who's 40 now, played really well under Mourinho, who's 62. They were together at Real Madrid for three seasons, but apparently, they didn't always get along off the field.
Even though things got off to a slow start, the Portuguese superstar still managed to score 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho. He also helped Mourinho win three trophies in his first two seasons.
But get this: even with superstars like Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria on his team, Mourinho was still super critical of Ronaldo's effort on defense.
Modric, who Mourinho signed from Tottenham back in 2013, told a story about one argument that made Ronaldo cry. Apparently, it was because he didn't chase after his assigned player.
"I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room," Modric told Corriere della Sera, an Italian news outlet. Can you believe it? A guy who always gives it his all on the field, and he's getting yelled at because he didn't chase some defender.
Modric moved to Real Madrid in 2013 and only played under Mourinho for a year.
Modric, who played alongside Kaka and Mesut Ozil in the midfield after arriving for a big £33 million, didn't say which game the argument happened in.
Guillem Balague, a Spanish soccer journalist, wrote in Ronaldo's biography that Ronaldo and Mourinho almost fought after Mourinho yelled at him in the locker room following a 2-0 win against Valencia in January 2013.
Mourinho was mad because Ronaldo didn't seem willing to help out on defense during the game. And Ronaldo supposedly replied, After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me? How dare you say that to me!
Later that season, which turned out to be Mourinho's last with the team, Ronaldo was constantly asked about Mourinho's future. "I don't care," he said once. What I care about is my own future and the club.
This was a big change from earlier that year, when Mourinho said before the 2012 Ballon d'Or race, If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe!
After Mourinho left Real Madrid, he went on Spanish TV to talk about what caused the problems between him and Ronaldo.
"I only had one problem with him," he said. It was simple. When a coach gives a player feedback on tactics, they are trying to help them get better, in my opinion. He didn't take it well because he probably thinks he knows everything, and the coach can't help him.
Mourinho also said that they didn't really have a relationship. But time seemed to fix things, as he later said that coaching Ronaldo was the best thing that ever happened in his career.
Ronaldo also seemed to warm up to Mourinho later on, even saying that he was the best coach he ever had, even better than Sir Alex Ferguson. "I'd put him at the top; I always say that," Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo scored 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho during their three years together.
Even though Modric didn't win any trophies in his first season at Madrid, he was so impressed by Mourinho that he repeated something Mourinho famously said about himself.
He's special, as a coach and as a person, Modric said. He was the one who wanted me at Real Madrid. I wouldn't have come without him. I'm sad I only had him for one season.
Modric spent 13 years at Real Madrid, mostly managed by Carlo Ancelotti. Now he's at AC Milan and managed by Massimiliano Allegri. But he says Mourinho is the toughest of the three.
He added, "Mourinho is really direct with the players, but he's honest." He treated Sergio Ramos and new players the same way. If he had something to say, he'd say it. Max is the same way. He tells you what's right and wrong to your face. Honesty is key.
Modric also shared his opinion on the never-ending debate of who's better, Lionel Messi or Ronaldo, but said he doesn't really like talking about it.
"I don't like that question," he said. They both defined an era. I'm closer to Cristiano because I played with him; he was my teammate at Madrid, and I can tell you he's not just a great player, he's an amazing person. People don't know it, but he has a big heart and is always ready to help others. He's just a simple, normal guy.
He added, "I don't know Messi personally, but I'm sure he's great too." As a player, he's incredible.
CELTIC FANS DEMAND BOARD SACK WILFRIED NANCY AFTER SHOCK MOTHERWELL DEFEAT TONIGHT
Wilfried Nancy dismisses sack talk after Celtic's 2-0 loss at Motherwell. With Rangers closing in, the Old Firm looms large.
After Celtic's fifth loss in seven games under his leadership, Wilfried Nancy brushed off ideas that Saturday's Old Firm game would decide his future.
Tuesday's match at Fir Park, called 'El Passico' due to both teams' open play styles, saw Motherwell outperform the Frenchman's team. Ibrahim Said and Elliot Watt scored on either side of halftime.
The 2-0 defeat, Celtic's 17th this year, meant Hearts stayed three points ahead in the league, while Rangers closed in, now just three points behind Nancy's squad after a 2-1 victory over St Mirren.
At the end of the game, visiting fans chanted for the board to be sacked, and some even demanded the manager's immediate dismissal. When asked if his first derby was a make-or-break moment, Nancy responded, No, not really. Every game matters to me and the team.
I'm not focused on my future. I'm focusing on what I'm doing now, what I need to do to help the team get better, and what we need to do as a team to improve. That's how I see it.
When asked if he understood the fans' deep worry about the lack of progress during his time, Nancy was indignant.
Progress? "There is progress," he insisted. But tonight, the situation and the opponent were tough.
This is a fact. Now, we need to figure out how to get better, and that's what we've been working on from the start. Tonight was rough. That's the truth.
When questioned about feeling the pressure after such a bad start as the champion's manager, Nancy added, As a manager, I don't want this, obviously.
Pressure doesn't change how I think. We know we have to perform well.
But right now, this is how it is. I knew it could be like this. We've had good games at times. Tonight was a hard one.
Regarding whether he was sure he could turn things around, Nancy said, Yes, I'm sure. I had to make some choices about the team tonight. I believe in what we're trying to do and where we're going. This was a hard game, difficult for us, but I think we'll improve.
Motherwell's manager, Jens Berthel Askou, praised his team, saying it was probably their best game of the season.
"We knew we'd probably need our best, most solid, and most complete performance, both with and without the ball, to win," he said.
We've had really big and good performances, but they haven't led to wins against Rangers or Celtic. So, that's what we got, and that's what we needed. It was amazing to see.
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