The Confederation of African Football (CAF) regulations stipulate that the winner of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) permanently keeps the tournament trophy. This rule, confirmed by official CAF statutes and historical precedent, applies to the 2025 edition won by Senegal.
Following Senegal's victory in the 2025 final, questions arose online regarding whether the trophy would be returned or passed to the next host. CAF's competition rules are clear: the physical trophy is awarded to the winning nation to retain. A new trophy is produced for each tournament cycle.
This practice has been in place for decades. The current AFCON trophy, introduced in 2002, has been permanently awarded to each subsequent winner, including Egypt, Cameroon, and Algeria, prior to Senegal's 2025 win. There is no provision for a champion to return the cup to a previous winner or the confederation.
The confusion may stem from different traditions in other continental competitions, but for AFCON, the champion's permanent retention is a settled rule. Senegal's football federation rightfully holds the 2025 AFCON trophy as its property.
