AFCON 2027 schedule: dates, format and key dates
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Saturday, June 19, 2027 and ends with the final on Saturday, July 17, 2027 — a 29-day tournament spread across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. This page sets out the confirmed dates, the 24-team format and the qualifying calendar; the match-by-match schedule and the final draw date have not yet been published by CAF.
Updated
Key dates
| When | What |
|---|---|
| May 19, 2026 | Qualifying draw, Cairo — 12 groups of four |
| September 24 – October 6, 2026 | Qualifiers, matchdays 1–2 |
| November 9–17, 2026 | Qualifiers, matchdays 3–4 |
| March 22–30, 2027 | Qualifiers, matchdays 5–6 — the 21 qualifiers are known by March 30 |
| Date not announced | Final draw for the 24-team tournament |
| Saturday, June 19, 2027 | Opening match |
| Saturday, July 17, 2027 | Final |
CAF announced the tournament dates in May 2026: opening match on Saturday, June 19, 2027, final on Saturday, July 17, 2027. AFCON 2027 is the first edition hosted by three countries and the first in East Africa since Ethiopia staged the 1976 tournament. Its Swahili name, Pamoja, means "together".
Format: 24 teams, six groups, best third-placed teams
| Round | Matches | Who plays |
|---|---|---|
| Group stage | 36 | Six groups of four; every team plays three matches |
| Round of 16 | 8 | Six group winners, six runners-up and the four best third-placed teams |
| Quarter-finals | 4 | Round of 16 winners |
| Semi-finals | 2 | Quarter-final winners |
| Third-place play-off | 1 | Semi-final losers |
| Final | 1 | July 17, 2027 — venue not yet announced |
The format is the one used since the 2019 expansion to 24 teams. The 24 finalists are drawn into six groups of four and play three group matches each. The six group winners and six runners-up go through, joined by the four best third-placed teams ranked on points, goal difference and goals scored across the six groups. From the round of 16 the tournament is a straight knockout, with a third-place play-off the day before the final. That adds up to 52 matches.
The mechanics of the best-third ranking are the same as at the 2026 World Cup; our guide to how best third-placed teams are ranked explains the tie-breakers.
Qualifying calendar
Qualifying runs across three international windows: September 24 – October 6, 2026 (matchdays 1–2), November 9–17, 2026 (matchdays 3–4) and March 22–30, 2027 (matchdays 5–6). The 12 groups, the host-group rule and the opening fixtures are on the AFCON 2027 qualifiers page. The 21 qualifiers join the three hosts once the last round is played on March 30, 2027.
Final draw
CAF has not announced a date or venue for the final draw. The draw has to follow the end of qualifying on March 30, 2027, and for the last two editions CAF drew the finals roughly two to five months after qualifying ended, so a spring 2027 draw is the working assumption — but nothing is confirmed. The match schedule (which stadium hosts which group and which knockout matches) will follow the draw and the confirmation of venues.
Kick-off times and time zones
Kick-off times have not been published. All three host countries are on East Africa Time (EAT, UTC+3) with no daylight-saving change, so once CAF confirms the schedule the conversion is fixed. The table shows what a 20:00 EAT kick-off would be in other zones; it is a conversion guide, not a confirmed kick-off time.
| City / zone | Equivalent of 20:00 EAT |
|---|---|
| Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Kampala (EAT, UTC+3) | 20:00 |
| Cairo (UTC+3 in summer) | 20:00 |
| Lagos, Casablanca, Algiers, Tunis (UTC+1) | 18:00 |
| London (BST, UTC+1) | 18:00 |
| Paris, Berlin, Madrid (CEST, UTC+2) | 19:00 |
| New York (EDT, UTC−4) | 13:00 |
| Los Angeles (PDT, UTC−7) | 10:00 |
After AFCON 2027
AFCON 2027 follows the 2025 edition in Morocco (played December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026). Senegal beat Morocco 1–0 after extra time in that final, but in March 2026 CAF's appeals board declared that Senegal had forfeited the match after their players left the pitch in protest at a stoppage-time penalty; Morocco were awarded the title 3–0 and Senegal said they would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Morocco therefore enter qualifying as holders. Reports say CAF decided in December 2025 to move the tournament to a four-year cycle from 2028, which would make 2027 the last odd-year AFCON; this site has not yet confirmed that with CAF.
AFCON 2027 schedule FAQ
When is AFCON 2027?
June 19 – July 17, 2027. CAF confirmed the opening match for Saturday, June 19 and the final for Saturday, July 17.
How many teams and matches are there at AFCON 2027?
24 teams and 52 matches: 36 in six groups of four, then a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, a third-place play-off and the final.
How do third-placed teams qualify for the AFCON 2027 round of 16?
The four best third-placed teams across the six groups advance, ranked on points, then goal difference and goals scored, joining the six group winners and six runners-up.
When is the AFCON 2027 draw?
Not announced. It cannot take place before qualifying ends on March 30, 2027; CAF will confirm the date.
Who won AFCON 2025?
Morocco. Senegal won the January 18, 2026 final 1–0 on the pitch, but CAF's appeals board ruled in March 2026 that Senegal forfeited the match, awarding Morocco a 3–0 win and the title. Senegal said they would appeal to CAS.
Related
Details marked TBC had not been confirmed by the organiser when this page was last updated (September 10, 2026).