Rabat -The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has abandoned a commercial rights deal worth at least $1 billion after deciding to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years instead of every two years.
In July 2025, CAF President Patrice Motsepe indicated that progress was being made on a lucrative long-term partnership.
However, on 23 July 2026, CAF instead launched a new global tender covering the marketing and commercial rights for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 AFCON tournaments, replacing the previous approach.
CAF’s head of communications, Luxolo September, confirmed that the executive committee’s unanimous decision on 20 December, 2025 to hold AFCON every four years fundamentally changed the value and scope of the commercial rights. As a result, the original bidding process could no longer continue.
The decision means CAF has once again missed the opportunity to secure long-term guaranteed revenue. The governing body has not had such a deal since terminating its landmark 2016–2028 agreement with French company Lagardère in 2019. That contract, negotiated under former president Issa Hayatou, guaranteed at least $1 billion and was expected to generate around $1.3 billion over its duration.
Following the termination, CAF became embroiled in a lengthy legal dispute and eventually paid $50 million in compensation to Lagardère in 2022.
Financial experts argue that reducing AFCON’s frequency inevitably lowers the value of future commercial rights, as sponsors are unlikely to pay the same amount for only two tournaments instead of four over eight years.
