The CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 has rewritten the digital playbook for football tournaments, amassing an unprecedented 6 billion views across social media during the competition, according to data released this week.

This massive digital footprint makes AFCON 2025 the most viewed continental football event ever, with 5.2 billion of those views coming from video content shared on platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

Football fans from around the world particularly the African diaspora helped drive the surge, with millions of new users engaging with highlights, match reactions and fan-generated content throughout the tournament.

CAF says this international buzz pushed AFCON’s online presence ahead of all previously comparable continental tournaments.

Fan participation was phenomenal, with 285 million interactions recorded across platforms, reflecting a level of engagement rarely seen in global sports.

TikTok played a central role, with more than one million videos created under the hashtag #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025, transforming the event into a cultural movement that extended beyond the pitch.

Content ranged from creative goal celebrations and in-depth tactical breakdowns to humorous takes, fan fashion and music inspired by the tournament often shared in real time and reaching audiences far beyond traditional football followers.

This digital explosion helped introduce African football to younger and more diverse audiences, amplifying its cultural influence on a global scale.

TikTok, in particular, emerged as the heartbeat of AFCON’s digital ecosystem, enabling direct connections between players, teams and supporters.

CAF officials have described the achievement as a sign of the competition’s rising global appeal and the organisation’s commitment to fan engagement and innovation.

The record-breaking numbers signal a new era for how football in Africa is experienced, shared and celebrated online.