Mohamed Salah, Bryan Mbeumo, and more: Which Premier League stars will take part in the Africa Cup of Nations?
The Africa Cup of Nations is set to kick off on December 21 and run through January 18, creating a major disruption as clubs continue competing in the heart of the 2025–26 Premier League season. With Mohamed Salah and Bryan Mbeumo among the headline names, several top-flight stars will miss key fixtures while representing their national teams.
As is the case every two years, the Premier League must once again navigate the challenges posed by AFCON. The 2025 edition will begin on Sunday, December 21, with hosts Morocco opening the tournament against Comoros. Clubs and national teams reached an agreement allowing players to report for international duty starting December 15.
After a demanding stretch with Liverpool, Mohamed Salah stands out as the most high-profile Premier League player departing for AFCON, as he joins Egypt. “Mo is going to go to the AFCON now, I hope he is going to do very well and in the meantime we have to play here without him,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said after the win over Brighton.
Mbeumo is another major absence, as the Manchester United forward joins Cameroon after being voted Premier League Player of the Month for October. The Red Devils will also be hit with Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) and Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) leaving to represent their respective countries.
Perhaps the biggest blow comes at Sunderland, who will lose as many as six players during the tournament. In their return to the Premier League, the Black Cats sit eighth and have impressed, but they are set to be without Bertrand Traoré, Arthur Masuaku, Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi, Reinildo Mandava, and Habib Diarra.
Few teams remain unaffected by AFCON
During the AFCON window, up to six Premier League matchdays will be played between the opening match and the final, and depending on how far their national teams advance, some players could miss a significant portion of the season. Still, several clubs will emerge largely unaffected.
Arsenal are among those spared, with no first-team regulars called up for the tournament. Chelsea, Leeds United, and Newcastle United are in a similar position. Bournemouth also avoid disruption, as Ghana failed to qualify for AFCON for the first time in 21 years, meaning Antoine Semenyo remains available, while Amine Adli was not included in Morocco’s squad.
List of Premier League players leaving for AFCON
A total of 32 Premier League players have been called up to represent their national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations. Below is the full list, including each player’s national team and club:
| National team | Player | Club affected |
| Algeria | Rayan Ait-Nouri | Manchester City |
| Burkina Faso | Dango Ouattara | Brentford |
| Burkina Faso | Bertrand Traore | Sunderland |
| Cameroon | Bryan Mbeumo | Manchester United |
| Cameroon | Carlos Baleba | Brighton |
| DR Congo | Arthur Masuaku | Sunderland |
| DR Congo | Noah Sadiki | Sunderland |
| DR Congo | Axel Tuanzebe | Burnley |
| DR Congo | Aaron Wan-Bissaka | West Ham |
| Egypt | Omar Marmoush | Manchester City |
| Egypt | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool |
| Ivory Coast | Emmanuel Agbadou | Wolves |
| Ivory Coast | Amad Diallo | Manchester United |
| Ivory Coast | Willy Boly | N. Forest |
| Ivory Coast | Ibrahim Sangare | N. Forest |
| Mali | Yves Bissouma | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Morocco | Noussair Mazraoui | Manchester United |
| Morocco | Chemsdine Talbi | Sunderland |
| Mozambique | Reinildo Mandava | Sunderland |
| Nigeria | Calvin Bassey | Fulham |
| Nigeria | Samuel Chukwueze | Fulham |
| Nigeria | Alex Iwobi | Fulham |
| Nigeria | Frank Onyeka | Brentford |
| Senegal | El Hadji Malick Diouf | West Ham |
| Senegal | Idrissa Gana Gueye | Everton |
| Senegal | Iliman Ndiaye | Everton |
| Senegal | Pape Matar Sarr | Tottenham |
| Senegal | Ismaila Sarr | Crystal Palace |
| Senegal | Habib Diarra | Sunderland |
| South Africa | Lyle Foster | Burnley |
| Tunisia | Hannibal Mejbri | Burnley |
| Zimbabwe | Tawanda Chirewa | Wolves |