CAF and the European Union will work together to see where their respective programmes and investments align. Both organisations promote shared values of inclusion, fair play, and opportunity. This new agreement with CAF will amplify those efforts by aligning them with large-scale football tournaments and programmes that enjoy high visibility and public engagement such as the upcoming Men’s and Women’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2025 and 2027.

The CAF African Schools Championship is a centrepiece of the partnership. It reaches young people directly where impact is most transformational—in schools. The EU’s support helps expand the competition to up to 33,000 schools across Africa, combining football with education, leadership skills, and community engagement. The Championship keeps children in school and teaches life values such as teamwork, respect, and perseverance. During the 2023-2024 season, more than 880,000 boys and girls participated in the Schools Championship.

The agreement also covers the CAF safeguarding programme, a uniquely designed initiative by the governing body of African football to establish safe and secure environments across Africa for football development, including protecting against fake agents as young players progress through to professional ranks.

The European Commission will work with CAF to promote the African Cup of Nations amongst the African diaspora in Europe.