Morocco To Host Next AFCON 2025, May Conflict With FIFA World Cup

The next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is scheduled to take place in 2025 and will be hosted by Morocco. This will be the second time that Morocco has hosted the tournament, with the first being in 1988. 

The 2025 AFCON was originally planned to be held in June and July, but the dates are now uncertain due to a potential scheduling conflict with the new FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States during the same period.

The tournament will be held in six cities in Morocco: Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakesh, and Fez. These venues are undergoing capacity expansions in preparation for the tournament and for Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain.

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As of February 2024, only Morocco has qualified for the 2025 AFCON as the host nation. The qualification process for the other 23 teams will begin later in 2024 and will run until November of that year. 

The lowest-ranked nations will compete in a preliminary round before the main group stage begins in September.

Egypt is the most successful nation in AFCON history, having won the tournament seven times, including the inaugural edition in 1957. Six other nations have won the trophy more than once, bringing the total number of winners to 15.

The 2023 AFCON, which took place in the Ivory Coast, was considered one of the most exciting and engaging editions of the tournament in recent years. 

The hosts, Ivory Coast, emerged as the champions after defeating Nigeria 2-1 in the final. Striker Sebastien Haller, who had taken a break from football due to a cancer diagnosis, scored the winning goal.

The next AFCON in 2025 promises to be an eagerly anticipated event, with Morocco as the host nation and the potential for top-quality football from the participating teams. However, the exact dates of the tournament are yet to be confirmed, pending discussions with FIFA regarding the scheduling conflict with the FIFA Club World Cup.