Morocco’s hosting of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is setting a new commercial benchmark for African football, with the Confederation of African Football calling it the most lucrative edition in the tournament’s history.
CAF said in a statement it has secured 23 sponsors for the event, more than double the nine partners it landed for the 2022 tournament in Cameroon and up from 17 at the 2023 edition in Côte d’Ivoire, with partners originating from several countries including the United States, China, Germany, Japan, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, the United Kingdom and, for the first time, Turkey.
The European Union has also joined as a sponsor, underlining the competition’s broadened international appeal. This expansion reflects both the attraction of new global brands and the retention of existing partners as the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON delivers an excellent return on investment.
The surge underscores rising advertiser appetite for African sports properties and the increasingly global reach of the continent’s most-watched football competition.
Morocco’s heavy investment in infrastructure has been central to the spike in commercial interest, CAF said.
New and upgraded venues, including the Rabat stadium project and improvements in Tangier, have provided what sponsors describe as a more predictable, premium environment for brand exposure.
The country’s track record in staging major sporting events, coupled with its tourism appeal, has helped draw partners from the US, China, France, Japan and Turkey.
For CAF, the 2025 tournament marks a strategic pivot toward higher-value sponsorship assets and an expanded commercial inventory.
The organization has also moved into eSports for the first time through eAFCON, a partnership with Japan’s Konami and its eFootball franchise.
The initiative is designed to tap into younger audiences and diversify CAF’s revenue streams beyond its traditional broadcast and in‑stadium products.
The shift positions AFCON as a more competitive global sports property, at a time when rights holders are increasingly targeting digital platforms to offset rising event‑hosting costs and fragmented TV markets.
