The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced significant reforms to the Africa Cup of Nations format.
Following the 2027 tournament, AFCON will expand from 24 teams to 28 teams. In addition, the competition will now be held every four years instead of every two years. CAF also plans to align the tournament calendar within the June – July window.
Softfootball gathered that these structural changes are aimed at improving scheduling, increasing global appeal, and accommodating more national teams across the continent.
The update comes after AFCON 2025, hosted in Morocco, where Senegal national football team emerged champions. Expanding the competition to 28 teams suggests CAF’s intention to provide broader representation and developmental opportunities for emerging football nations in Africa.
The shift to a four-year cycle could also reduce calendar congestion and better align AFCON with other major international tournaments.
Some observers note that these adjustments may move AFCON closer to the structural model of competitions such as the UEFA Nations League in terms of strategic planning and scheduling.
While full implementation details are yet to be clarified, this marks one of the most significant changes in AFCON’s modern history.
Softfootball will continue to monitor further announcements as CAF outlines the next phase of this transformation.
