Major football tournaments set for 2025

By Peter Ochieng

2025 promises to be an engaging year for sportsmen and women across the globe.

Several sporting activities are lined up for the year. However, our list narrows down to major football tournaments expected to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

1. CHAN

The first major football competition of the year under the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will be the TotalEnergies African Nations Championships (CHAN).

Neighbors Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will co-host the tourney, which features players plying their trades in their domestic leagues.

It will mark CHAN’s 8th edition, and the first one to be co-hosted by three countries. The one-month long soccer bonanza will run from February 01 to February 28, 2025.

Senegal are the defending champions, while Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Morocco are the most successful teams in the competition, with two titles apiece.

One qualification slot is yet to be determined. The 17 qualified teams are:

1. Kenya – co-hosts
2. Uganda – co-hosts
3. Tanzania – co-hosts
4. Morocco
5. Guinea
6. Senegal
7. Mauritania
8. Niger
9. Burkina Faso
10. Nigeria
11. Central African Republic (CAR)
12. DRC
13. Congo Brazzaville
14. Sudan
15. Zambia
16. Angola
17. Madagascar

2. FIFA Club World Cup

The first edition of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup will be hosted by the United States of America (USA), between June 14 and July 13 this year.

Unlike the traditional formats where only reigning club champions from all the 6 international confederations under FIFA participated, the 2025 editions and onwards will feature 32 clubs.

According to fifa.com, all the 32 slots have been filled. The qualified clubs are:

Africa (4)

Al Ahly FC (EGY) - 2023/24 CAF Champions League winners

Wydad AC (MAR) – 2021/22 CAF Champions League winners

Espérance Sportive de Tunis (TUN) - CAF ranking pathway

Mamelodi Sundowns FC (RSA) - CAF ranking pathway

Asia (4)  

Al Hilal (KSA) – 2021 AFC Champions League winners  

Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN) – 2022 AFC Champions League winners

Al Ain FC (UAE) - 2023/24 AFC Champions League winners

Ulsan HD (KOR) - AFC ranking pathway

Europe (12)

Chelsea FC (ENG) – 2020/21 UEFA Champions League winners

Real Madrid (ESP) –2023/24 UEFA Champions League winners

Manchester City (ENG) – 2022/23 UEFA Champions League winners

FC Bayern München (GER) – UEFA ranking pathway

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) – UEFA ranking pathway

Inter Milan (ITA) – UEFA ranking pathway

FC Porto (POR) - UEFA ranking pathway

SL Benfica (POR) – UEFA ranking pathway

Borussia Dortmund (GER) - UEFA ranking pathway

Juventus FC (ITA) - UEFA ranking pathway

Atlético de Madrid (ESP) - UEFA ranking pathway

FC Salzburg (AUT) - UEFA ranking pathway

North America (5)

CF Monterrey (MEX) – 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup

Seattle Sounders FC (USA) – 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup

Club León (MEX) – 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup

CF Pachuca (MEX) - 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup

Auckland City FC (NZL) – OFC ranking pathway

South America (7)

Palmeiras (BRA) – 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores

CR Flamengo (BRA) – 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores

Fluminense FC (BRA) – 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores

Botafogo (BRA) - 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores

CA River Plate (ARG) - CONMEBOL ranking pathway

CA Boca Juniors (ARG) - CONMEBOL ranking pathway

Inter Miami CF (USA) - Host nation slot

3. AFCON

Morrocco will host the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 20926.

The North African nation will host the tournament for the second time in history, after successfully playing host to the 1988 edition.

The 204 qualified teams are:

1. Morocco – hosts
2. Ivory Coast – defending champions
3. Senegal
4. Egypt
5. Algeria
6. Nigeria
7. Cameroon
8.  Mali
9.  Tunisia
10.  South Africa
11.  DR Congo
12.  Burkina Faso
13. Gabon
14.  Angola
15.  Zambia
16.  Uganda
17.  Equatorial Guinea
18.  Benin
19. Mozambique
20.  Comoros
21.  Tanzania
22.  Sudan
23.  Zimbabwe
24. Botswana

Kenya was among teams tha fell short at the altar of qualification.