In a major boost for African football, the President of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced an increase in the prize money for the winners of its two biggest club competitions.
The champion of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League will now receive $6m, an increase of $2m from the previous amount. This marks a 50% rise. At the same time, the winner of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will take home $4m, which is also a $2m increase and represents a 100% rise from the last edition.
These new figures continue a trend of strong growth under Dr. Motsepe’s leadership. Since he became CAF President five years ago, the prize money for the Champions League winner has grown from $2.5m to $6m.
This is a 140% increase. For the Confederation Cup, the winnings have jumped from $1.250m to $4m, a rise of 220%.
The impact of this investment goes beyond just the two finalists. The total amount of prize money and solidarity payments for African clubs will now be over $42m per season. This is a 114% increase compared to the $18.8 Million that was available to clubs in 2021.
Greater Support for Clubs from the Start
This news is part of a wider promise by Dr. Motsepe to help African clubs become more competitive on the world stage. A key part of this has been providing financial support to teams right from the beginning of their journey.
In August 2024, CAF started giving $50,000 to each club that was eliminated in the Preliminary Stages of the competitions. Just one year later, for the 2025/26 season, that amount has been doubled to $100,000 per club.
This direct financial help has encouraged more teams to take part. A record-breaking 130 clubs from across the continent entered the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for the 2025/26 season.
Summary of Prize Money Growth:
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2021: $2.5m
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2024: $4m
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2026: $6m
Historic increase in Prize Money for TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup winners:
TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2021: $1.250m
TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2024: $2m
TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2026: $4m
Solidarity Payments for Clubs Eliminated in Preliminary Stages:
Year Payment per Club
2021 $0
2024/25 $50,000
2025/26 $100,000
Key Dates for the 2025/26 Season Finals:
The TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final will be played over two legs on 15 May and 24 May. The TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup title will be decided in its two-legged final, scheduled to take place between 09 May and 16 May.