The Africa Cup of Nations continues its rapid expansion, and the 2025 tournament in Morocco confirms the competition’s growing weight on the global football calendar.
Figures released by the Confederation of African Football show a tournament that now extends far beyond continental borders, both in player representation and worldwide broadcast reach.
This 35th edition brings together footballers from 70 different countries, a clear sign of the AFCON’s widening footprint.
Players from the 24 qualified national teams now earn their living across leagues on multiple continents, underlining the tournament’s increasing diversity and international relevance.
France’s Ligue 1 leads all competitions with 51 players selected for the finals, reflecting the league’s long-standing ties with African football.
The English Premier League follows with 33 players, while the Egyptian league contributes 31 and South Africa’s top division adds 30.
These figures confirm the strong links between domestic African leagues and Europe’s elite competitions.
Other African leagues also register significant representation.
Tanzania provides 25 players, Botswana 21, Rwanda 19, Zambia 14 and Tunisia 13. Algeria’s Ligue 1 contributes fewer names, including goalkeeper Oussama Benbot of USM Alger, Zineddine Belaïd of JS Kabylie, Burkina Faso midfielder Mohamed Zougrana of MC Alger and Botswana striker Tumisang Orebonye of USM Alger.
Europe’s major leagues continue to play a central role. Italy’s Serie A sends 20 players, Germany’s Bundesliga 17 and Spain’s La Liga 16. Strong contributions also come from Turkey’s Süper Lig with 21 players, Portugal’s top division with 14 and Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League with 13.
Asia also strengthens its presence. The Saudi Pro League supplies 14 players, while the Qatar Stars League accounts for 12, highlighting the growing pull of Gulf football for African internationals.
CAF and economic analysts now expect viewing figures to exceed the 1.5 billion audience recorded during the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast.
Broadcasters continue to expand coverage into new markets. DAZN will air an African sporting event in Japan for the first time, while Chinese platforms Zhibo 8 TV, K-Ball and Douyin TV target a potential audience of 500 million viewers.
Across Africa, 49 of the continent’s 60 television channels will show matches free to air. In the United Kingdom, Channel 4 will also broadcast several of the 52 scheduled matches without charge.
These numbers confirm a clear reality. The AFCON no longer speaks only to Africa.
The tournament now commands global attention and continues to grow in scale, reach and influence with every edition.
