Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed.
Saudi Arabia was widely expected to be named as host since India, the only other country to submit a bid, having withdrawn from the running in December last year. The AFC has confirmed the decision and Saudi Arabia will start planning the tournament.
In his address to the 33rd AFC Congress, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC President said: “Let me congratulate the Saudi Arabian Football Federation for being selected as the hosts for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
Saudi to host 2027 AFC Asian Cup
“This will be the first time the tournament will be staged in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we look forward to working closely with the SAFF and the Saudi Arabian Government to deliver a memorable AFC Asian Cup™ for our fans and players in 2027.”
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sport and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, who led the presentation to the AFC Congress, said: “It is an honour to have been chosen as hosts for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 and this is a historic and exciting moment for football in Saudi Arabia.
“We believe the best days of Asian football are yet to come and we see this tournament as an opportunity to showcase all that’s great about the game here.
“Our experience in hosting major sporting and entertainment events means that we are ready to deliver and ready to warmly welcome fans from across Asia and around the world.
“This will be an incredible AFC Asian Cup, made even more special by the passion of the Saudi fans. I would like to thank the AFC and all the member associations that have been involved in this process.”
Saudi Arabia has also submitted a bid to host the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026.
It was a huge day for football in the country after it also won a seat on FIFA’s ruling council.
The election win at the Asian Football Confederation’s annual meeting proves growing Saudi influence in global football.
The Kingdom soccer federation’s president, Yasser Almisehal, was among six Asian soccer officials elected by AFC members to represent them on FIFA’s decision-making council through 2027.
Qatar federation president Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, whose country hosts the Asian Cup next January, also was elected to a FIFA position for the first time.
The 37-member FIFA Council is chaired by the governing body’s president Gianni Infantino, who had a front-row seat on Wednesday to the election meeting in Bahrain.
The election results confirmed Saudi Arabia and Qatar at the heart of Asian soccer with the AFC presidency scheduled to be vacant in 2027.
AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was re-elected to a final four-year term in a job he has held since 2013.
He is also formally number two to Infantino as the most senior of FIFA’s eight vice presidents.
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