Saifaddin Galal
Research Expert North Africa
Football in Africa - Statistics & Facts
Football, or soccer, is often considered the most popular sport globally. In Africa, it is not any different, as the sport is widespread across the continent. The Confederation of African Football, also known as Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) in French, is the governing body for soccer in Africa. In 2022, CAF generated over 125 million U.S. dollars in revenue through the competitions organized by the body, FIFA assistance, and other income streams. On the other hand, CAF's paid-out distributions reached almost 65.7 million U.S. dollars as of the same year. Prize money comprised the biggest chunk, covering around 75 percent of CAF's spending. Furthermore, in terms of stadium capacity, FNB Stadium, located in South Africa, registered the highest on the continent. It can hold over 94,700 fans. Borg El Arab Stadium, positioned in Alexandria, Egypt, ranked second, with a spectator capacity of close to 90,000.
Which national teams are the strongest?
Following its best-ever performance as an African men's national team, Morocco reached the quarter-final stage in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. As of late 2023, the country held the highest-ranked position in the FIFA ranking on the continent, the 13th globally. However, this does not showcase the whole spotlight on African football. For instance, Cameroon managed to play in eight different World Cups, more than any other team in Africa. When looking at the Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt secured seven titles, followed by Cameroon with five titles. With regard to the women's national team, Nigeria is by far the most successful team on the continent, placing highest in the FIFA ranking. The country represented the continent in all nine Women's World Cup tournaments and has the highest number of women's African Cup of Nation titles.Clubs and most popular players
Africa is home to several former and present prestigious players, including Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire), Sadio Mané (Senegal), Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), and Victor Osimhen (Nigeria). As of 2022/2023, Victor Osimhen, the Napoli striker, was the most valuable player in Africa, with a market value of 120 million euros. The CAF also organizes the CAF Champions League among high-tier clubs across countries on the continent. In this regard, El Ahly SC of Egypt dominates the continent, securing 11 titles. This was six titles ahead of its closest opponents, TP Mazmebe (DR Congo) and Zamalek SC (Egypt). Moreover, El Ahly SC and Mamelodi Sundowns FC (South Africa) were the most valuable African football clubs as of 2023/2024.
