Inside AFCON 2025’s Economic Impact

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 27: A general view of the atmosphere at the AFCON Morocco 2025 Trophy Tour Launch Event at Below The Lights, Piccadilly Circus, on November 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images for AFCON Morocco 2025 Diaspora Tour Launch Party)

Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images for AFCON Morocco 2025 Diaspora Tour Launch Party

With just weeks remaining until AFCON 2025 kicks off in Morocco, the focus is naturally on the squads, star players, and enthusiastic fans. However, behind this excitement lies a complex web of financial strategies and commercial planning that drives the tournament. From high-profile sponsorships and lucrative broadcasting deals to tourism revenue and strategic investments in African football infrastructure, AFCON 2025 is as much a business phenomenon as it is a sporting spectacle. This evolution demonstrates how the continent’s premier football tournament has become a globally recognised and commercially viable event.

CAF’s Financial Turnaround

The backdrop for AFCON 2025 is the financial transformation of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Four years ago, CAF faced significant financial challenges, including deficits, legal disputes, and operational inefficiencies. Under President Dr Patrice Motsepe, the organisation embarked on a strategic turnaround plan designed to make African football both globally competitive and financially self-sustaining.

Key elements of the plan included stricter financial controls, the pursuit of high-profile sponsorship and media partnerships, and the professionalisation of CAF’s operations. The results are clear: for the 2023–2024 financial year, CAF reported a net profit of USD 9.48 million, the first in several years. This milestone reflects not just improved management but the growing global appeal of African football, which increasingly attracts major international brands seeking exposure across the continent and beyond.

AFCON in Context: Comparing CAF Competitions

AFCON 2025 clearly stands apart from other CAF competitions in terms of scale and profitability. The tournament is expected to generate USD 192.6 million in revenue with a net profit of USD 113.8 million, far exceeding other continental events. By comparison, WAFCON 2024 projects revenue of USD 12.3 million and is expected to operate at a net deficit of USD 3.6 million, CHAN 2024 forecasts USD 30.8 million in revenue with a net profit of USD 8.2 million, and the CAF Champions League 2026 is estimated at USD 28.4 million with a net gain of USD 4.1 million. AFCON alone accounts for over 60% of total projected revenue across CAF competitions, emphasising its critical role in CAF’s commercial and strategic priorities. While development-focused tournaments like WAFCON and youth competitions often operate at a loss, their primary goal is to grow talent, increase participation, and foster inclusivity, complementing the commercial success of flagship events such as AFCON.

AFCON 2025: Africa’s Commercial Crown Jewel

CAF’s 2025–2026 budget projections underscore AFCON 2025 as the continent’s most lucrative football event. The tournament is expected to generate USD 192.6 million in total revenue, driven primarily by sponsorships (USD 126.2 million) and TV/media rights (USD 46.5 million), with an additional USD 19 million from ticketing and hospitality. Net profit is projected at USD 113.8 million, far surpassing other CAF competitions such as WAFCON, CHAN, and the CAF Champions League.

AFCON’s scale highlights its dual role: it is both a sporting showcase and a major business event, generating revenue that sustains CAF, funds development programs, and provides financial incentives for national teams and clubs.

The Commercial Backbone of AFCON 2025

AFCON 2025’s commercial ecosystem is anchored by a mix of global and regional sponsors, spanning energy, finance, sportswear, consumer goods, technology, and logistics. Confirmed partners include:

TotalEnergies, Puma, VISA, 1Xbet, Royal Air Maroc, European Commission, Tecno, Rexona, Danone, Lonaci, Midea, Africa Global Logistics, Vache Qui Rit, and Suzuki.

These partnerships extend far beyond branding. For CAF, sponsorship deals fund prize money, infrastructure, tournament operations, and development programs, while giving brands access to millions of fans across Africa and its global diaspora. The strategic alignment between CAF and its sponsors underscores the tournament’s commercial sustainability, with sponsorship revenue alone projected at USD 126.2 million, dwarfing ticketing and hospitality income.

Broadcasting and Global Reach

Broadcasting rights form the other crucial pillar of CAF’s revenue. AFCON 2025 will be televised across multiple continents, ensuring global visibility and reinforcing Africa as a football powerhouse. With media deals contributing USD 46.5 million, broadcast partnerships not only fund CAF’s operations but also enhance player marketability, attract sponsors, and engage international fan communities, amplifying the tournament’s economic and cultural impact.

Ticketing, Hospitality, and Morocco’s Economic Boost

Ticketing and hospitality revenue is projected at USD 19 million, and while smaller than media or sponsorship income, it still represents a significant contribution. More importantly, AFCON generates substantial economic benefits for host Morocco, from increased tourism and hotel occupancy to boosted restaurant, retail, and transport activity.

Hosting AFCON also serves as a showcase for Morocco’s infrastructure and organisational capability, reinforcing the nation’s status as a preferred destination for major international sporting events as they prepare to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Player Marketing, Diaspora Talent, and Global Appeal

One of the most notable drivers of AFCON’s commercial and sporting evolution is the growing presence of diaspora players. In the 2023 edition, roughly 200 of 630 registered players were born outside Africa. France contributed the largest share (104 players), followed by Spain, England, and other European nations. Teams like Morocco, Equatorial Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo fielded significant foreign-born contingents, a trend that has steadily increased since the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Today, diaspora players account for around 42% of African national squads.

Diaspora players impact AFCON in multiple ways; they bring training, tactical awareness, and competitive experience from top European leagues, elevating the standard of play, and they connect African football with global fan bases, including European club supporters and diaspora communities worldwide, broadening AFCON’s reach and sponsorship potential.

CAF has leveraged this trend through the AFCON Morocco 2025 Diaspora Tour, which takes the trophy to London and Paris ahead of the tournament. Stops at Piccadilly Circus in London and YOYO at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris celebrate the enduring bond between African football and its global diaspora. The tour not only showcases the trophy but also demonstrates CAF’s understanding of the diaspora’s cultural and commercial significance, forging a bridge between Africa and its global supporters.

Strategic Significance and Global Positioning

AFCON 2025 epitomises CAF’s transformation: a financially disciplined, globally respected organisation leveraging sport as both cultural expression and commercial enterprise. Diaspora engagement, high-profile sponsorships, broadcasting deals, ticketing, tourism, and club involvement all converge to make AFCON a sporting spectacle and a business powerhouse.

President Motsepe’s leadership has positioned CAF as a globally competitive football authority, and AFCON serves as the flagship of this evolution. The tournament is an arena where sporting excellence, economic impact, and strategic growth intersect, demonstrating how African football can thrive both on and off the pitch.