CAF Confirms Increased Prize Money Ahead of 2025 AFCON in Morocco
With only a short time remaining before kickoff, Morocco is preparing to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a flagship football tournament that will bring together the continent’s top national teams to compete for a total prize pool of 32 million US dollars (approximately 46.5 billion Rwandan francs).
The tournament is scheduled to run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, and will feature 24 teams divided into six groups. Matches will be played across several cities in Morocco, as the country readies itself to welcome players, officials, and fans from across Africa.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a 40 percent increase in prize money for this edition of the competition. Under the new structure, the tournament winner will receive 7 million dollars (around 10 billion Rwandan francs), marking one of the highest payouts in the history of the AFCON.
The runner-up will earn 4 million dollars (approximately 5 billion Rwandan francs), while the two semi-finalists will each take home 2.5 million dollars (about 3.6 billion Rwandan francs). Teams eliminated at the quarter-final stage will be awarded 1.3 million dollars (around 1.8 billion Rwandan francs).
CAF further outlined that teams reaching the round of 16 will receive 800,000 dollars (about 1.1 billion Rwandan francs). Those advancing as the best third-placed teams in the group stage will earn 700,000 dollars (around 1 billion Rwandan francs), while teams eliminated in the group stage will each be awarded 500,000 dollars (approximately 726 million Rwandan francs).
To finance the tournament and its expanded prize structure, CAF expects to generate total revenues of 312.85 million dollars during the 2025/26 football season. A significant portion of this income will come from sponsorship deals, projected to contribute 111.2 million dollars.
Broadcasting rights are expected to bring in 81.2 million dollars, while CAF’s commercial and marketing arm is projected to contribute 77.5 million dollars. Additional revenues are anticipated from ticket sales at CAF-organized matches, estimated at 20 million dollars.
CAF will also receive 22.5 million dollars through FIFA Forward funding, alongside other minor revenue streams amounting to around 500,000 dollars.
