The Confederation of African Football canceled a major commercial rights tender after deciding to move the Africa Cup of Nations from a biennial to a four-yearly schedule.
Key facts
- •Caf abandoned a $1 billion, eight-year commercial deal due to the shift in tournament frequency.
- •The executive committee voted unanimously on December 20, 2025, to move Afcon to a four-year cycle.
- •A new tender for the 2028, 2032, and 2036 tournaments was opened on July 23, 2025.
- •Caf previously paid a $50 million settlement to Lagardère following the 2019 termination of a prior contract.
- •The organization has not had a long-term financial security deal for seven years.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has abandoned a commercial rights deal valued at over $1 billion after deciding to transition the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) to a four-year cycle. The governing body confirmed that the shift, intended to align with the international match calendar, rendered the previous invitation to tender obsolete. Caf has since opened a new bidding process for the 2028, 2032, and 2036 tournaments.
By the numbers
Impact of the schedule change
Caf’s head of communications, Luxolo September, stated that the executive committee reached a unanimous decision on December 20, 2025, to change the tournament frequency. This decision materially altered the scope of available commercial rights, as the original 2025 tender had bundled the organization's entire competition portfolio. Financial experts noted that sponsors are unlikely to pay the same amount for a deal that now features only two tournaments over eight years instead of four.
Historical financial context
Caf has not secured a long-term financial deal in seven years. The organization previously held a 12-year, $1 billion minimum guarantee contract with the French company Lagardère, signed in 2016. That agreement was unilaterally terminated in 2019 under former president Ahmad Ahmad, leading to a legal dispute that resulted in Caf paying a $50 million settlement to Lagardère in 2022.
Timeline
- May 2015Caf and Lagardère agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding in Zurich.
- December 2019The contract with Lagardère was unilaterally terminated by Caf.
- December 20, 2025The Caf executive committee voted to move Afcon to a four-year cycle.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Guardian Sport.
