- CAF will distribute around USD 32 million as AFCON 2025 prize money across the 35th edition of the tournament.
- The AFCON 2025 champions will walk away with USD 7 million.
- The 2025 tournament takes place in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
The countdown to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 has begun and with it comes a financial package unlike anything the tournament has ever seen.
As the competition prepares to kick off on December 21 in Morocco, SportPesa looks at what football fans should expect apart from the high-level action on the pitch.
The 35th edition will be unveiling one of the most lucrative prize pools in African football history.
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The tournament arrives at a time when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has significantly transformed its economic model.
Since Patrice Motsepe took over as CAF president, the financial muscle behind African competitions has grown visibly with the recent Pamoja CHAN 2024 that was co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania having a record financial boost to participating nations.
AFCON, which has always been rich in passion, rivalry, and global-quality talent, now adds a commercial dimension that pushes it into the upper tier of world football. And the numbers say it all.
For the first time in the competition’s history, the AFCON champion will walk away with USD 7 million, a massive step up from previous tournaments.
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AFCON 2025 prize money breakdown
* Champion: USD 7 million (Ksh. 903,000,000)
* Runner-up: USD 4 million (Ksh. 516,000,000)
* Semifinalists: USD 2.5 million each (Ksh. 322,500,000)
* Quarterfinalists: USD 1.3 million each (Ksh. 167,700,000)
* Round of 16: USD 800,000 (Ksh. 103,200,000)
* Best third-placed teams: USD 700,000 (Ksh. 90,300,000)
* Fourth place in each group: USD 500,000 (Ksh. 64,500,000)
In total, CAF will distribute USD 32 million across the tournament. This financial uplift will greatly benefit established football nations while providing emerging teams with resources that could influence long-term development.
How does AFCON 2025 prize money compare with other tournaments?
When compared to other tournaments, AFCON sits in a respectable financial position. It surpasses several continental competitions such as the Gold Cup, Asian Cup, and Oceania Nations Cup, which offer far smaller payouts. For instance, the Gold Cup champion receives barely USD 1 million (Ksh. 129,000,000), far below AFCON’s offerings.
However, the African tournament still lags behind global financial giants:
* Copa América 2024 awarded USD 16 million (Ksh. 2,064,000,000) to its champion.
* The UEFA European Championship remains unmatched, featuring a total purse of 331 million euros (Ksh. 49,785,710,000) with up to 28.25 million euros (Ksh. 4,249,082,500) potentially earned by the winning team.
* The FIFA-backed Arab Cup also edged AFCON slightly with a prize pool of 31 million euros.
Even so, AFCON remains the highest-paying competition within Africa, reinforcing its role as a vital revenue source for federations and a pathway for strengthening football structures across the continent.
AFCON 2025 will be played not only for trophies and national pride but also for life-changing financial rewards.
Morocco, hosting a historic December-to-January edition will stage a tournament expected to deliver elite football, historic dramas, and millions in prize money that could shape the future of African national teams.
