Egypt Officially Confirms Desire to Host 2028 Africa Cup of Nations

Egypt has officially announced its desire to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations finals. This edition will be the last organized under the traditional biennial system before transitioning to a new system of holding the tournament every four years.

Mohamed El Shazly, spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports, confirmed full coordination between the ministry and the Egyptian Football Association to prepare the bid file. He noted that the country possesses comprehensive readiness in terms of infrastructure and sports facilities.

El Shazly added, "At the Ministry of Youth and Sports, we strongly support the Egyptian Football Association in preparing the file. The ministry and the state will back this endeavor and provide all necessary support, whether in terms of sports infrastructure or official administrative and governmental commitments."

The spokesperson emphasized the importance of the 2028 edition, considering it an exceptional milestone in the tournament's history. He added, "We are keen on this because the 2028 tournament will be an exceptional edition, as it will be the last in its old format."

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) had announced, during an executive committee meeting in Rabat on the sidelines of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, a change to the tournament's system. The competition, which is CAF's primary source of revenue, will now be held every four years instead of biennially, a system that had been in place since the competition's inception in 1957.

It was decided that the 2027 edition would be held in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with a final exceptional edition to be organized in 2028 before the definitive transition to the new system.

It is worth noting that the proposal to hold the Africa Cup of Nations every four years had previously been put forward by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. However, CAF rejected it at the time due to its significant reliance on the financial revenues generated by the tournament.

The timing of the Africa Cup of Nations has long been a subject of wide debate, as it is often held in the middle of the European season, forcing clubs to release their international players. Despite the tournament's schedule being moved to mid-year starting in 2019, the 2022 edition in Cameroon and the 2024 edition in Ivory Coast were both held at the beginning of the year.

Furthermore, the current edition in Morocco has been postponed for six months following FIFA's launch of an expanded Club World Cup, which was held in the United States during June and July.