European Clubs Boosted As FIFA Grants An Extra Week Before AFCON Player Release

‎FIFA announced on Wednesday that star players like Mohamed Salah, Bryan Mbeumo, and Achraf Hakimi will now be available for their clubs until December 15 before reporting for Africa Cup of Nations duty.

‎This adjustment gives their teams an extra week with key squad members.

‎Clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain had been preparing to lose these players earlier.

‎They could still be without them for up to five weeks during the 24-team tournament in Morocco, which runs from December 21 to January 18.

‎But they had feared it could be even longer until FIFA amended its rules to soften the blow for clubs by delaying the release date by a week.

‎The decision came after “fruitful consultations led by FIFA with key stakeholders and thanks to the spirit of solidarity demonstrated by CAF to reduce the impact on various parties,” FIFA said in a statement, referring to the tournament organisers, the Confederation of African Football.

‎”It was also decided to encourage member associations participating in the 2025 AFCON and clubs releasing players… to engage in good faith bilateral discussions to find appropriate individual solutions,” FIFA added.

‎Before FIFA’s ruling, players were due to report for international duty by December 8, which could have left Premier League clubs missing key squad members for as many as seven or eight league games during a congested period.

‎The timing of the tournament posed a particular challenge for clubs like high-flying Sunderland. Rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers also risked losing up to five players at a crucial stage of their season.

‎Liverpool will be without Egypt forward Salah, Manchester City will have to do without his international teammate Omar Marmoush, and Algeria’s left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.

‎United will lose Cameroon’s Mbeumo, Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo, and Morocco full-back Noussair Mazraoui.

‎On the other hand, league leaders Arsenal, Chelsea, and Leeds will be unaffected.

‎French and European champions PSG will lose Hakimi, the reigning African player of the year, but other European giants such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, and Juventus will not see any players involved.

‎Nicolas Jackson, Bayern Munich’s Senegal forward on loan from Chelsea, will participate in the tournament but is unlikely to miss many Bundesliga matches, as the league goes on its winter break from December 22 to January 8.

‎Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, and Senegal are among the tournament favorites.