Will this be the 'best Africa Cup of Nations ever?'

The 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast set a high bar, but the 35th edition of the continental football tournament (December 21 to January 18) is set to surpass even that, according to the organizers in Morocco.

For the first time in the competition's history, each team will have its own headquarters and team hotel, similar to what's seen at World Cups and European Championships. Four stadiums were newly built for the tournament, while the remaining five, all relatively new, have been recently renovated.

Anticipation is high: Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), announced in November that more than 800,000 tickets had already been sold – a record for an Africa Cup of Nations.

Fans can also look forward to excellent infrastructure in Morocco. A high-speed rail line – the only one on the continent – ​​connects the three AFCON host cities of Tangier, Rabat, and Casablanca, that are home to six tournament stadiums.

Even at the height of the global Generation Z protests this autumn, which also spread to Morocco, the country remained "Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C" for the Africa Cup of Nations, said Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), promising "the best Africa Cup of Nations ever."

Is Morocco the overwhelming favorite?

For several years, Moroccan football has been implementing a series of reforms that are now beginning to show results. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the national team became the first African team to reach the semifinals of a World Cup, ultimately finishing in fourth place.

Morocco continued its success after that. In 2024, the national team won bronze at the Olympic Games in Paris. In 2023, the country triumphed at the Africa Cup of Nations for under-23s, and in 2025, they won the same competition for under-17s. That same year, the under-20s even won the World Cup for their age group.

The Moroccan women's national team also delivered, achieving second place at the Africa Cup of Nation twice in a row (2022 and 2025), both times on home soil.

A victory for the "Atlas Lions" at their home tournament would be the icing on the cake, but the competition is fierce. The team from Ivory Coast, Germany's opponent in the 2026 World Cup group stage, aims to defend its title. Senegal, a football powerhouse in Africa, also has high ambitions. The same is true for Algeria, Morocco's neighbor and long-time rival.

Tunisia, Nigeria (runners-up at AFCON 2024), South Africa (third place in 2024), and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which can still qualify for the 2026 World Cup via a playoff next spring, are all considered dark horses for the title. Egypt, which boasts Mo Salah, arguably Africa's best footballer, should not be forgotten.

Who are the tournament's biggest stars?

The Africa Cup of Nations brings together the continent's best players. Among the stars of this year's tournament are:

• Achraf Hakimi of Morocco and Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
• Victor Osimhen of Nigeria, who once played for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga
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Leverkusen's Ibrahim Maza, Frankfurt's Ellyes Skhiri, and Leipzig's Yan Diomande are just a few of the Bundesliga players at the 35th Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Image: Anke Waelischmiller/Sven Simon/picture alliance
Nicolas Jackson – Bayern Munich
His first six months in Munich have not been outstanding. The Chelsea loanee mostly sat on the bench and only came on as a substitute for striker Harry Kane. However, the 24-year-old is a regular in the Senegal national team and plays alongside former Bayern player Sadio Mane. Jackson already played in the AFCON in 2024, but Senegal were knocked out in the round of 16.
Image: HMB Media/picture alliance
Ramy Bensebaini – Borussia Dortmund
With 76 international caps and more than 275 appearances in France's Ligue 1, the Bundesliga for Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund, and in European competition, the 30-year-old is one of the most experienced players for Algeria, who were eliminated in the group stage of the last edition of the tournament in January 2024.
Image: Hafner/nordphoto/picture alliance
Ibrahim Maza – Bayer Leverkusen
Ibrahim Maza (left) is an attacking midfielder who has recently impressed in Leverkusen with his play further back as a defensive or central midfielder. In November, the 20-year-old Berlin native was named Algeria's young player of the year.
Image: Thomas Thienel/Eibner-Pressefoto/picture alliance
Christian Kofane, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Edmond Tapsoba – Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen are in fact being hit hard, with Christian Kofane (19, Cameroon), Eliesse Ben Seghir, (20, Morocco) and Edmond Tapsoba (26, Burkina Faso) also named to AFCON squads. Of the three, Tapsoba is the most experienced internationally, having made 57 appearances for his country. Kofane will be hoping to make his international debut during AFCON.
Image: Anke Waelischmiller/Sven Simon/picture alliance
Bilal El Khannouss – Stuttgart
Bilala El Khannouss represented his native Belgium at youth level before switching allegiance to Morocco as a U20 player. The attacking midfielder was part of the Moroccan team that was knocked out of the round-of-16 by South Africa at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations. This time, playing at home, he's aiming for the title.
Image: Wart Brinkerhof/Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/picture alliance
Samuel Essende – Augsburg
Samuel Essende, on the other hand, has only a minimal chance of lifting the trophy on January 18. The Democratic Republic of Congo are not among the favorites. However, reaching the knockout stage is still a possibility. Essende and his teammates face Senegal, Benin and Botswana in the group stage.
Image: Tom Weller/dpa/picture alliance
Mohamed Amoura – Wolfsburg
The 25-year-old is Wolfsburg's top scorer with six goals in 14 Bundesliga matches. The pacey striker is particularly effective on the counter-attack. Amoura is a regular starter for Algeria and a danger to opponents.
Image: Maximilian Koch/picture alliance
Fares Chaibi – Eintracht Frankfurt
Fares Chaibi is also in the Algerian squad. The midfielder was born in France and made his debut for the "Desert Foxes" in 2023. He featured regularly in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, but mostly came off the bench. At Frankfurt, however, the 23-year-old is a regular starter and, with six assists, is Eintracht's top playmaker this season
Image: Federico Gambarini/dpa/picture alliance
Yan Diomande – RB Leipzig
With seven goals and four assists in 15 competitive matches, the striker has made a huge impact at RB Leipzig. His international career for AFCON titleholders Ivory Coast, however, is still young with just four appearances. At the Africa Cup of Nations, the 19-year-old will play alongside former Bundesliga player Sebastien Haller and another current Bundesliga player...
Image: Paul Fritz/HMB Media/picture alliance
Bazoumana Toure – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
...who has impressed with strong performances in recent weeks. Toure (left), also just 19 years old, made his international debut for Ivory Coast in October. However, the striker will likely be coming off the bench at AFCON.
Image: Oliver Zimmermann/foto2press/picture alliance
Amadou Haidara – RB Leipzig
Although the midfielder has yet to make an appearance for RB Leipzig this season, the Malian national coach has picked him for the Africa Cup of Nations. This will be the 27-year-old's third AFCON following 2019 and 2022. He has made 46 appearances for his country.
Image: motivio/ZB/picture alliance
Elias Saad – Augsburg
The Hamburg native represented Germany in futsal before turning pro in football and making his international debut for Tunisia in 2024. The 25-year-old attacking player recently lost his starting position in the Bundesliga but remains a regular on the left wing for the national team.
Image: Klaus Rainer Krieger/Eibner-Pressefoto/picture alliance
Ismael Gharbi – Augsburg
Saad's rival in the same position for both Augsburg and Tunisia is Ismael Gharbi. However, the 21-year-old tends not to start, usually coming on as a sub. Gharbi was born in Paris to a Spanish mother and a Tunisian father. He played for France's under-18 team, then for Spain up to the under-20 level, and made his debut for Tunisia's senior national team in 2025.
Image: Edward Cheung/Eibner-Pressefoto/picture alliance
Ellyes Skhiri – Eintracht Frankfurt
Although he also hails from France and has a French mother, the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder has always represented his father's country, Tunisia, with whom he took part in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco will be the 30-year-old's fourth continental championship. With 73 appearances, he is one of Tunisia's most experienced players.
Image: Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto/picture alliance
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• Bryan Mbeumo of Cameroon and Manchester United
• Edmond Tapsoba of Burkina Faso, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen
• Iliman Ndiaye of Senegal and Everton
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon, who played for Borussia Dortmund for five years and is now under contract with Marseille.

Nevertheless, all eyes will be on Salah. The 33-year-old Liverpool forward is his club's highest ever Premier League scorer with 190 goals but has fallen out with his manager, Arne Slot. There is speculation that he could leave Liverpool as early as this winter. For African football fans, however, a different question takes center stage: Will Salah succeed in leading record-holders Egypt to their eighth AFCON title?

Which AFCON players will we see at the World Cup?

At least seven teams participating in AFCON in Morocco will also play in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. DR Congo could be added as an eighth team. For the talents of these nations, the Africa Cup of Nations is a good opportunity to showcase their skills.

This applies to Ivorian Yan Diomande, 19, who has recently impressed at Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, and also to his compatriot Bazoumana Toure, 19, who is making a name for himself at Hoffenheim.

Ibrahim Mbaye ,17, is aiming to make his mark on the Senegalese team, where he's receiving increasing playing time despite his young age at PSG.

Chemsdine Talbi, 20, who regularly plays for newly promoted Premier League side Sunderland, hopes to earn a spot on the host nation Morocco's World Cup squad. The same is true for South Africa's Tylon Smith, 20, who currently plays for the U21 team of English Championship side Queens Park Rangers – but has higher ambitions.

Who will write the tournament's most memorable story?

One of the charms of the Africa Cup of Nations lies in the fact that there are almost always underdogs who experience their own football fairytale at the tournament. Will the Comoros Islands manage to reach the round-of-16 again at AFCON in Morocco, as they did in 2021 during their only previous appearance?

Can Benin, who narrowly missed out on World Cup qualification, advance to the quarterfinals as they did in 2019? Or will the Sudanese team manage to cause a sensation and bring a little joy to a country that has been ravaged by civil war for years? National coach James Kwesi Appiah has promised: "We are here to win – not just to participate."

This article was originally published in German.