FIFA Delays AFCON Player Release, Giving European Clubs Crucial One-Week Reprieve

Star players including Mohamed Salah, Bryan Mbeumo, and Achraf Hakimi will be available for their clubs for an extra week before reporting for Africa Cup of Nations duty, following a revised directive issued by FIFA on Wednesday. The new rule allows clubs to keep their African internationals until December 15, easing fears that leading teams across Europe would lose key squad members for an extended period during one of the busiest phases of the season.

The 24-nation AFCON tournament, hosted in Morocco from December 21 to January 18, will still sideline top talent for up to five weeks. However, initial regulations would have required players to depart by December 8, potentially depriving clubs of important personnel for as many as seven or eight league matches in December—especially damaging for teams in the English Premier League.

FIFA attributed the amended release date to “fruitful consultations… and the spirit of solidarity demonstrated by CAF,” noting that the discussions focused on reducing disruption for clubs while still accommodating preparations for the continental competition. The organisation also urged national federations and clubs to hold “good faith bilateral discussions” to address specific needs and agree on player-by-player arrangements where possible.

Even with the adjusted timeline, several Premier League sides will still be hit hard. Liverpool will lose star forward Mohamed Salah to Egypt’s campaign, while Manchester City will be without his compatriot Omar Marmoush and Algeria defender Rayan Aït-Nouri. Manchester United will see the departures of Bryan Mbeumo, Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo, and Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui. Sunderland, enjoying an impressive run of form, could be without as many as seven players, while struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers may lose up to five.

Conversely, league leaders Arsenal, along with Chelsea and Leeds, will emerge largely unscathed, with no squad members called up for the tournament.

Across Europe, French and Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain will face the absence of Achraf Hakimi, Africa’s reigning Player of the Year. However, several major clubs—including Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, and Juventus—will remain unaffected by AFCON call-ups. Bayern Munich will lose Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson, currently on loan from Chelsea, though his absence overlaps with the Bundesliga’s winter break from December 22 to January 8, minimising the impact.

As Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, and Senegal prepare to contend for the title, the build-up to AFCON 2025 has already highlighted longstanding tension between club commitments and international duty. Yet FIFA’s latest adjustment offers a measure of relief for teams hoping to maintain momentum during the crowded festive schedule.