Hope, unity and imagination come together in Yinka Ilori’s Wonderball, a limited edition football featuring a new artwork that celebrates the power of play and possibility ahead of AFCON 2025.
AFCON 2025, the Africa Cup of Nations, will take place in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, taking place in the winter season for the first time. The tournament will feature 24 football teams competing across nine venues in six cities. Notable groups include hosts Morocco in Group A and defending champions Ivory Coast in Group F, while Southern Africa will have a record seven nations represented.
Morocco is positioning this as one of the most ambitious AFCON tournaments ever, backed by major infrastructure efforts and high-profile planning. AFCON 2025 is expected to be an exciting and highly competitive edition, featuring strong traditional contenders and rising football nations, all set against the backdrop of Morocco hosting the tournament for the first time since 1988.
In celebration of this new release, Yinka has commissioned an animation starring legendary footballer Djibril Cissé alongside a young Yinka Ilori, exploring the role of play in shaping their respective childhoods. The animation celebrates unity, equality, and togetherness in the face of another socially and geopolitically challenging year. Inspired by themes of immigration, nurturing, and building a kinder future for children, it highlights the small, everyday gestures that strengthen community.
We invite you to watch the animation and join us in a moment of optimism, compassion, and collective hope for the year ahead.
The Wonderball is available to pre-order now, for delivery in time for Christmas and the start of AFCON 2025.
