Ivory Coast is gearing up to host the African festival of football, the Africa Cup of Nations, for the second time in the nation’s history. Senegalese team, led by Sadio Mane, aims to defend their African crown. While Mohamed Salah seeks redemption after falling short in the 2021 edition. The tournament, featuring 24 African nations across six groups, promises a month of intense competition as teams vie for glory and the coveted trophy.
Beyond the prestige of lifting the trophy, the stakes are high in terms of lucrative prizes for the top-performing teams in AFCON 2023. The Confederation of African Football has allocated a total prize pool of $14.8 million, with the winner set to receive a substantial $7 million – a 40% increase from the prize awarded in the previous edition in 2019.
The runner-up of the tournament will not be left empty-handed, earning $4 million, a notable increase of $1.5 million compared to the AFCON 2021 runner-up, Egypt. Even the losing semi-finalists and quarter-finalists will see a boost in their prize money, with the former receiving $2.5 million and the latter taking home $1.3 million.
In terms of prize money, AFCON 2023 outshines the AFC Asian Cup, with the winner receiving $7 million and the runner-up earning $4 million. Meanwhile, UEFA has announced substantial winnings for Euro 2024, with the winner potentially cashing in $30.9 million. In South America’s Copa America 2024, the winning nation stands to gain $10 million, while the second-placed team will receive a prize of $5 million. The year 2024 promises a footballing spectacle with these major tournaments unfolding on the global stage.
The 34th edition of Afcon will take place from 13 January until 11 February 2024.