The Africa Cup of Nations begins in December and runs until the middle of January 2026.
The tournament in Morocco was initially scheduled for June and July 2025, but it was moved to the Northern Hemisphere’s winter months so as not to clash with the new FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
The fact the AFCON is being played in the middle of the Premier League season means that, just as during the last tournament, top-flight will lose some star players who have been called up by their national teams.
Below, The Sporting News looks at which players will be heading off to Morocco, and which teams will be hardest hit in terms of absentees.
MORE: Groups, schedules and more at AFCON 2025 | Most AFCON titles ever
Premier League players at AFCON 2025
As of December 15, there were 32 Premier League players confirmed to be going to the Africa Cup of Nations.
The tables below detail which players were called up by their national teams, and the earliest dates at which they could return to their clubs.
Algeria
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Rayan Ait-Nouri |
Man City |
Dec 14: Crystal Palace (A) |
Jan 10: Exeter City (H) |
Burkina Faso
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Dango Ouattara |
Brentford |
Dec 14: Leeds (H) |
Jan 10: Sheff Wed (A) |
| Bertrand Traore |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 10: Everton (A) |
Cameroon
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Bryan Mbeumo |
Man United |
Dec 15: Bournemouth (H) |
Jan 7: Burnley (A) |
| Carlos Baleba |
Brighton |
Dec 13: Liverpool (A) |
Jan 7: Man City (A) |
DR Congo
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Arthur Masuaku |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 10: Everton (A) |
| Noah Sadiki |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 10: Everton (A) |
| Axel Tuanzebe |
Burnley |
Dec 13: Fulham (H) |
Jan 10: Millwall (H) |
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka |
West Ham |
Dec 14: Aston Villa (A) |
Jan 11: QPR (H( |
Egypt
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Omar Marmoush |
Man City |
Dec 14: Crystal Palace (A) |
Jan 10: Exeter City (H) |
| Mohamed Salah |
Liverpool |
Dec 13: Brighton (H) |
Jan 8: Arsenal (A) |
Ivory Coast
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Emmanuel Agbadou |
Wolves |
Dec 14: Arsenal (H) |
Jan 10: Shrewsbury (H) |
| Amad Diallo |
Man United |
Dec 15: Bournemouth (H) |
Jan 11: Brighton (H) |
| Willy Boly |
N. Forest |
Dec 14: Tottenham (H) |
Jan 9: Wrexham (A) |
| Ibrahim Sangare |
N. Forest |
Dec 14: Tottenham (H) |
Jan 9: Wrexham (A) |
Mali
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Yves Bissouma |
Tottenham |
Dec 14: N. Forest (A) |
Jan 7: Bournemouth (A) |
Morocco
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Noussair Mazraoui |
Man United |
Dec 15: Bournemouth (H) |
Jan 7: Burnley (A) |
| Chemsdine Talbi |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 7: Brentford (A) |
Mozambique
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Reinildo Mandava |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 10: Everton (A) |
Nigeria
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Calvin Bassey |
Fulham |
Dec 13: Burnley (A) |
Jan 10: Middlesbrough (H) |
| Samuel Chukwueze |
Fulham |
Dec 13: Burnley (A) |
Jan 10: Middlesbrough (H) |
| Alex Iwobi |
Fulham |
Dec 13: Burnley (A) |
Jan 10: Middlesbrough (H) |
| Frank Onyeka |
Brentford |
Dec 14: Leeds (H) |
Jan 10: Sheff Wed (A) |
Senegal
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| El Hadji Malick Diouf |
West Ham |
Dec 14: Aston Villa (A) |
Jan 6: N. Forest (H) |
| Idrissa Gana Gueye |
Everton |
Dec 13: Chelsea (A) |
Jan 7: Wolves (H) |
| Habib Diarra |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 7: Brentford (A) |
| Pape Matar Sarr |
Tottenham |
Dec 14: Nottingham Forest (A) |
Jan 7: Bournemouth (A) |
| Ismaila Sarr |
Crystal Palace |
Dec 14: Man City (H) |
Jan 7: Aston Villa (H) |
| Iliman Ndiaye |
Everton |
Dec 13: Chelsea (A) |
Jan 7: Wolves (H) |
South Africa
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Lyle Foster |
Burnley |
Dec 13: Fulham (H) |
Jan 7: Man United (H) |
Tunisia
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Hannibal Mejbri |
Burnley |
Dec 13: Fulham (H) |
Jan 7: Man United (H) |
Zimbabwe
| Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
| Tawanda Chirewa |
Wolves |
Dec 13: Arsenal (H) |
Jan 3: West Ham (H) |
Teams with most stars at Africa Cup of Nations
The team with the most players going to AFCON 2025 are Sunderland, who will lose six members of their squad as things stand.
- Sunderland: 6
- Burnley, Fulham, Man United: 3
- Brentford, Burnley, Everton, Man City, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, West Ham, Wolves: 2
- Aston Villa, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Liverpool: 1
AFCON 2025 start, finish dates
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations began with host nation Morocco’s victory over Comoros on Sunday, December 21.
The tournament runs through to the final on January 18, 2026.
MORE: Confirmed round dates for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
