The mandatory release period for players ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, will be shortened by seven days and will begin on December 15, FIFA announced in a statement.
This decision by the FIFA Council Bureau was made “following fruitful consultations between FIFA and key stakeholders, and thanks to the spirit of solidarity shown by CAF to reduce the impact on the various parties concerned.” The statement added that this follows the approach adopted for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
It was also decided to encourage member associations participating in AFCON 2025 and clubs releasing players expected to compete in a continental tournament during the release period to engage in good-faith bilateral discussions to find appropriate individual solutions, FIFA added.
In cases where disputes persist regarding player release after these bilateral discussions, FIFA will mediate and apply guidelines that take into account the circumstances of each case—particularly the match schedule of the competitions concerned, the stage of those competitions, the players’ past and expected involvement in the relevant matches, and any other relevant factors, the statement said.
It was also decided to encourage member associations participating in AFCON 2025 and clubs releasing players expected to compete in a continental tournament during the release period to engage in good-faith bilateral discussions to find appropriate individual solutions, FIFA added.
In cases where disputes persist regarding player release after these bilateral discussions, FIFA will mediate and apply guidelines that take into account the circumstances of each case—particularly the match schedule of the competitions concerned, the stage of those competitions, the players’ past and expected involvement in the relevant matches, and any other relevant factors, the statement said.
