The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially opened the bidding process for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), inviting its 54 Member Associations to compete for the right to host the continent’s biggest football tournament.
CAF announced the move in a statement published on its official website, signalling the start of the race to stage three editions of its flagship competition over the next decade.
The governing body stated that all 54 Member Associations are eligible to submit bids, with the selection process aimed at identifying hosts capable of delivering world-class tournaments that meet CAF’s technical, commercial, and operational standards.
According to CAF, the bidding framework was developed with the support of its independent expert adviser, PwC, alongside technical, financial and external legal advisers. The framework is designed to ensure a transparent, fair and competitive selection process.
The announcement comes as attention gradually shifts towards the 2027 AFCON, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027. The tournament will be the first AFCON to be staged across the three East African nations.
CAF has steadily strengthened the competition’s global appeal in recent years, with growing commercial value and record audiences across television and digital platforms.
The AFCON remains the continent’s premier sporting event and one of the world’s most-watched football competitions. CAF said the tournament attracts a cumulative global television audience of more than 3.2 billion viewers, alongside over six billion digital views.
