Premier League players at AFCON 2025: Teams with most stars at Africa Cup of Nations, and when they return originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Africa Cup of Nations begins in December and runs until the middle of January 2026.
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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
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Premier League players at AFCON 2025
As of December 13, there were 31 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 4: Chelsea (H) |
Burkina Faso
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Dango Ouattara |
Brentford |
Dec 14: Leeds (H) |
Jan 4: Everton (A) |
|
Bertrand Traore |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
Cameroon
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Bryan Mbeumo |
Man United |
Dec 8: Wolves (A) – TBC |
Jan 4: Leeds (A) |
|
Carlos Baleba |
Brighton |
Dec 13: Liverpool (A) |
Jan 3: Burnley (H) |
DR Congo
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Arthur Masuaku |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
|
Noah Sadiki |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
|
Axel Tuanzebe |
Burnley |
Dec 13: Fulham (H) |
Jan 3: Brighton (A) |
|
Aaron Wan-Bissaka |
West Ham |
Dec 14: Aston Villa (A) |
Jan 3: Wolves (A) |
Egypt
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Omar Marmoush |
Man City |
Dec 14: Crystal Palace (A) |
Jan 4: Chelsea (H) |
|
Mohamed Salah |
Liverpool |
Dec 13: Brighton (H) |
Jan 4: Fulham (A) |
Ivory Coast
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Emmanuel Agbadou |
Wolves |
Dec 14: Arsenal (H) |
Jan 3: West Ham (H) |
|
Amad Diallo |
Man United |
Dec 8: Wolves (A) – TBC |
Jan 4: Leeds (A) |
|
Willy Boly |
N. Forest |
Dec 14: Tottenham (H) |
Jan 3: Aston Villa (A) |
|
Ibrahim Sangare |
N. Forest |
Dec 14: Tottenham (H) |
Jan 3: Aston Villa (A) |
Mali
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Yves Bissouma |
Tottenham |
Dec 14: N. Forest (A) |
Jan 4: Sunderland (H) |
Morocco
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Noussair Mazraoui |
Man United |
Dec 8: Wolves (A) |
Jan 4: Leeds (A) |
|
Chemsdine Talbi |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
Mozambique
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Reinildo Mandava |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
Nigeria
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Calvin Bassey |
Fulham |
Dec 13: Burnley (A) |
Jan 4: Liverpool (H) |
|
Samuel Chukwueze |
Fulham |
Dec 13: Burnley (A) |
Jan 4: Liverpool (H) |
|
Alex Iwobi |
Fulham |
Dec 13: Burnley (A) |
Jan 4: Liverpool (H) |
|
Frank Onyeka |
Brentford |
Dec 14: Leeds (H) |
Jan 4: Everton (A) |
Senegal
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
El Hadji Malick Diouf |
West Ham |
Dec 14: Aston Villa (A) |
Jan 3: Wolves (A) |
|
Idrissa Gana Gueye |
Everton |
Dec 13: Chelsea (A) |
Jan 4: Brentford (H) |
|
Habib Diarra |
Sunderland |
Dec 14: Newcastle (H) |
Jan 4: Tottenham (A) |
|
Pape Matar Sarr |
Tottenham |
Dec 14: Nottingham Forest (A) |
Jan 4: Sunderland (H) |
|
Ismaila Sarr |
Crystal Palace |
Dec 14: Man City (H) |
Jan 4: Newcastle (A) |
|
Iliman Ndiaye |
Everton |
Dec 13: Chelsea (A) |
Jan 4: Brentford (H) |
South Africa
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Lyle Foster |
Burnley |
Dec 13: Fulham (H) |
Jan 3: Brighton (A) |
Tunisia
|
Player |
Club |
Last game |
Earliest possible return date |
|
Hannibal Mejbri |
Burnley |
Dec 13: Fulham (H) |
Jan 3: Brighton (A) |
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.
-
Burnley, Fulham, Man United: 3
-
Brentford, Burnley, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, West Ham, Wolves: 2
-
Aston Villa, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Man City: 1
AFCON 2025 start, finish dates
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations begins with host nation Morocco facing Comoros on Sunday, December 21.
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The tournament runs through to the final on January 18, 2026.
MORE:Confirmed round dates for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
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