Saudi Arabia was confirmed as the host nation for the 2027 Asian Cup by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at its 33rd AFC Congress in Manama, Bahrain, on Wednesday.
The AFC’s executive committee had earlier shortlisted bids from India and Saudi Arabia in October after Qatar pulled out of the process following their successful bid to host the 2023 edition in place of original hosts China.
But the All India Football Federation withdrew its bid in December, effectively sealing the tournament for the Saudis.
In his address to the Congress, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said: “Let me congratulate the Saudi Arabian Football Federation for being selected as the hosts for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.”
“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 & 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.”
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