The triumphant Senegal team arrived in Dakar just after midnight following the tense Africa Cup of Nations final that saw the players briefly walk off the pitch to protest a penalty decision deep into second-half stoppage time.

Now the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has finished, the World Cup is the next major international tournament on the horizon

We look back over a compelling month of AFCON football and pick our tournament dream team.

AFCON is Africa's continental showcase and gives no guarantees to the favorites as big names like Mohamed Salah and Didier Drogba have not claimed the top honors at the tournament.

The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco. The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draws to a close on Sunday, when hosts Morocco face Senegal in the final.

Live stream every game from this incredible tournament from anywhere in the world.

The best performance of the 16 nations competing in the Women's AFCON 2026Nigeria/@CAFMorocco will once again be the capital of African football as it hosts the 14th edition of the Women's Africa Cup