When are Premier League players heading to Afcon?

"The mandatory release date for clubs to allow all players competing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is Monday, 15 December. That means players will be together six days prior to the start of the tournament on Sunday, 21 December. The final takes place on Sunday, 18 January, 2026. Fifa have confirmed that following conversations with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the release period will start on the Monday before the tournament begins. A Fifa statement added: "It was also determined that Member Associations participating in the CAF Afcon 2025 and clubs released players who would be playing in continental competitions during the release period be encouraged to hold bilateral discussions in good faith to find appropriate individual solutions.""

"Fifa also said that they will "apply guidelines" to clubs in cases where there is a dispute, and mediate between clubs and national teams. For most clubs, that means the final time players will be eligible for selection is the weekend of 13/14 December, before immediately heading to Morocco for the tournament. However, there are a few club games scheduled on the day players are due to link up with their national squads, meaning they are now expected to miss those matches."

"United have three players set to feature at Afcon, forward Bryan Mbuemo (Cameroon), winger Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) and defender Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco). Bournemouth midfielder Amine Adli could also feature for Morocco alongside Mazraoui. United had previously expressed concern that players would be joining up earlier than the confirmed date, calling into question whether they would feature for the trip"

The mandatory release date for clubs to allow players competing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is Monday 15 December, meaning players join national teams six days before the tournament begins on 21 December. The tournament final is scheduled for 18 January 2026. FIFA confirmed the release period following talks with CAF and encouraged bilateral discussions between associations and clubs for players involved in continental competitions. FIFA will apply guidelines and mediate disputes between clubs and national teams. Several domestic fixtures coincide with the release date, causing selected players to miss those club matches.

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