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Egypt, November 12, 2026 - The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reopened bidding for hosting rights to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2028, 2031 and 2033, giving all 54 member associations a fresh chance to stage football’s biggest continental tournament. The move confirms AFCON’s return to a two-year cycle after CAF abandoned a planned four-year format.
Under the revised calendar, AFCON 2028 remains unchanged, while the previously proposed 2032 and 2036 tournaments have been replaced by editions in 2031 and 2033. CAF says the sequence accounts for the 2030 FIFA World Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup, avoiding a direct clash with football’s global showpiece.
CAF has written to its member associations inviting bids for the three tournaments. Countries may submit individual applications or joint bids, and an association can express interest in hosting more than one edition.
The governing body has also reopened the process to associations that did not participate in the earlier bidding round. Those that already filed a Declaration of Interest do not need to submit a new one.
The change follows CAF’s Executive Committee decision on October 29 to restore AFCON to its traditional biennial format. That decision reversed a July plan under which CAF had invited bids for AFCON 2028, 2032 and 2036.
CAF has set November 17, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Cairo time as the deadline for declarations of interest. Member associations seeking clarification have until November 24, while complete hosting bids must be submitted by December 8, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Cairo time.
CAF’s decision reflects a balance between commercial value, player welfare and the global football calendar. A two-year AFCON preserves the tournament’s regular place in Africa’s sporting and cultural calendar, while the revised sequence avoids holding the continental finals in 2030, the year of the FIFA World Cup.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe explained the thinking when the new cycle was confirmed. “The subsequent AFCONs thereafter will take place in 2028, 2031 and 2033,” he said, adding that FIFA tradition means confederation national-team competitions may not take place in a World Cup year.
The 2029 FIFA Club World Cup is the other major scheduling consideration. By shifting the AFCON sequence, CAF seeks to protect the tournament’s visibility, sponsorship value and access to elite players, while reducing congestion around major international competitions.
The reversal also responds to concern from across African football. A four-year AFCON would have reduced the frequency of the continent’s premier international competition, potentially weakening commercial momentum, fan engagement and the tournament’s role as a driver of infrastructure investment.
The bidding process is now formally open. CAF has issued an amended Commercial Rights Invitation to Tender covering AFCON 2028, 2031 and 2033, including the finals and qualifying campaigns for each edition.
That commercial tender is separate from the hosting-rights process, but it signals that CAF is preparing the tournaments’ broader commercial structure. Interested commercial partners must submit proposals by November 16, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Cairo time.
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CAF has not yet announced the exact dates for the 2028, 2031 or 2033 finals. It has also not named any candidate hosts, leaving the field open as associations prepare their declarations and bid documents.
The immediate priority for prospective hosts is to meet the November 17 declaration deadline. They must then prepare detailed bids covering stadiums, training facilities, transport, security, accommodation, finance and tournament operations before the December 8 submission deadline.
Expect a competitive race. Joint bids are likely to attract particular interest because hosting AFCON requires multiple stadiums, training venues, hotels, airports and security resources; recent editions have often been staged by more than one country.
CAF is expected to evaluate bids under the framework it developed with independent advisers, including PwC and technical, financial and legal experts. The framework was designed to create what CAF described as a transparent, credible and ethical process for selecting hosts.
For fans, the key near-term question is when AFCON 2028 will be played. CAF says exact tournament dates will be communicated later, meaning supporters and broadcasters will have to wait for a confirmed calendar.
For governments and investors, the process could unlock major infrastructure spending. Hosting AFCON can accelerate stadium renovations, airport upgrades, road projects, hotel development and security investments, although such projects also carry cost and delivery risks if timelines are unrealistic.
AFCON is Africa’s premier men’s international football competition and one of the continent’s most valuable sporting properties. It brings together African national teams, attracts global broadcasters and sponsors, and generates substantial economic activity in host cities.
The next edition, AFCON 2027, will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027. It will be the first time the three East African nations jointly stage the tournament.
In July, CAF had invited bids for AFCON 2028, 2032 and 2036, implying a move to a four-year cycle after 2028. That plan has now been abandoned in favour of the restored two-year rhythm.
The revised schedule means there will be no AFCON in 2030. After the 2028 edition, the tournament will return in 2031, then 2033, restoring a biennial sequence thereafter.