The agreement underlines the guiding principles shared by the two confederations, highlighting the game’s role in promoting inclusion, participation and social cohesion, while reaffirming a joint commitment to solidarity, integrity and openness across the game.
“Europe and Africa are home to extraordinary football landscapes, where the game plays a vital role both on the pitch and within society,” said UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin. “This Memorandum of Understanding reflects our shared commitment to expanding opportunities for boys and girls in youth football, while harnessing the power of the game to advance women’s football and promote women’s health and wellbeing. By working closely with CAF, we aim to invest in people, share expertise and strengthen football’s positive and lasting impact on communities across both continents.”
CAF president Dr Patrice Motsepe added: “African Football has experienced significant growth over the past few years and we continue to build towards making it among the best in the world. By signing the Memorandum of Understanding with UEFA, we are strengthening our historic ties and friendship between Africa and Europe that has seen some of the best African players succeeding in European leagues. This partnership with UEFA includes youth and women’s football, development, the education and training of coaches and referees, the enhancement of governance and institutional development. It also reflects CAF and UEFA’s shared vision of using football as a tool to bring together and unite the people of our two continents. By combining our expertise and resources, CAF and UEFA will ensure that football continues to be a source of hope, joy and unity for millions of people worldwide.”
The MoU, which runs until 30 June 2031, follows UEFA agreements with fellow confederations Concacaf (North, Central America and Caribbean) and CONMEBOL (South America). It will combine expertise and experience across several strategic areas, including:
- Youth and women’s football, with CAF member associations participating in selected UEFA youth competitions and discussions planned on future iterations of the UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup, alongside opportunities for reciprocal involvement in initiatives such as the CAF African Schools Championship
- Football development programmes, implemented through the UEFA Together initiative, supporting tailored, long‑term projects and partnerships between European and African national associations
- Coach education, focusing on the sharing of technical know‑how, best practice and collaborative learning activities to strengthen and align coaching structures across both confederations
- Refereeing, with opportunities for match officials and referee instructors to gain international experience through tournaments, courses and technical programmes, including participation of elite referees in each other’s competitions
- Exchange of expertise and institutional knowledge, including observer programmes at major club and national team tournaments, as well as contributions to conferences and professional events organised by both confederations
- Education and capacity development, with access to selected UEFA Academy programmes, joint work on CAF’s education pathways and cooperation on football medicine through the development of dedicated training frameworks
- Governance and coordination, featuring regular meetings and progress reviews to ensure alignment on priorities and effective delivery of agreed activities
The MoU reaffirms UEFA and CAF’s shared conviction that football can act as a driver for opportunity, education and positive social impact throughout our respective communities, providing a flexible basis for the confederations to develop additional joint initiatives over time.