CAF Goes Big: $48 Million a Year and $6 Million Awaiting the Winner of AS FAR vs Sundowns

African club football is experiencing an unprecedented boom, thanks to record investments poured in by the Confederation of African Football, which now exceed $48 million a year. The move aims to raise commercial value, boost competitiveness and strengthen the global presence of continental competitions.

The winner of the CAF Champions League "TotalEnergies" final between AS FAR and Mamelodi Sundowns will pocket a $6 million prize, compared with around $4 million five years ago, reflecting the significant growth in the competition's revenues.

The budget for CAF's interclub competitions has seen a notable increase, rising from $19 million in 2021 to $48 million in 2026, an increase of as much as 153% since Patrice Motsepe took over the leadership of the continental football body.

This growth reflects CAF's commitment to a strategy aimed at developing African club football by improving its financial resources, enhancing its commercial appeal and broadening the base of participation, giving clubs from across the continent greater opportunities to compete at the highest level.