CAF confirms $2 million prize money increase for 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup winner

The Confédération Africaine de Football has confirmed a major financial boost for its club competitions after President Patrice Motsepe announced a USD 2 million increase in prize money for the winner of the CAF Confederation Cup for the 2025/2026 season.

Under the new arrangement, the champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will now receive USD 4 million, representing a 100 per cent rise from the previous amount. At the same time, the winners of the CAF Champions League will earn USD 6 million, which reflects a 50 per cent increase.

The adjustments form part of broader reforms introduced during Dr Motsepe’s leadership at CAF. Over the past five years, the prize money for the CAF Champions League winner has climbed from USD 2.5 million to USD 6 million, representing a 140 per cent increase. During the same period, the financial reward for the CAF Confederation Cup champions has grown from USD 1.250 million to USD 4 million, amounting to a 220 per cent rise.

Following the latest increments, the total prize money and solidarity payments distributed to African clubs will exceed USD 42 million per season. This represents a 114 per cent increase since Dr Motsepe assumed office as CAF President. By comparison, CAF allocated a total of USD 18.8 million in prize money to clubs in 2021.

The increased financial support is part of CAF’s strategy to strengthen club competitions across the continent and make African club football more competitive globally. In August 2024, Dr Motsepe announced that teams eliminated during the preliminary stages of both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup would receive USD 50,000 each.

That support package was expanded in 2025 when CAF doubled the amount to USD 100,000 for clubs knocked out in the early rounds. The improved incentives have contributed to greater participation in the competitions, with a record 130 clubs from across Africa entering the 2025 and 2026 editions of both tournaments.