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Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa paid tribute to the Continent’s Member Associations (MAs) after the Confederation received a record seven Expressions of Interest (EoI) to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031™ final competition.
Chairing the 6th AFC Executive Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the eve of the 35th AFC Congress, Shaikh Salman lauded the highest ever number of EoIs received in modern history and attributed the exceptional reception to the growing prestige of Asia’s crown jewel.
Consequent to the AFC’s invitation on November 27, 2024, for all MAs to express their interest in hosting Asia’s most prestigious men’s national team tournament, the following MAs submitted their responses by the deadline of March 31, 2025:
– Football Australia
– All India Football Federation
– Football Association of Indonesia
– Korea Football Association
– Kuwait Football Association
– United Arab Emirates Football Association
– Joint Bid: The Kyrgyz Football Union, Tajikistan Football Federation and Uzbekistan Football Association
The AFC President said: “The AFC Asian Cup™ is undoubtedly one of the greatest success stories and the last edition in Qatar firmly cemented Asia’s flagship as one of the best football competitions in the world.
“The record number of bids that we have received is further testament to the stature and appeal of the AFC Asian Cup™ and on behalf of the AFC Executive Committee, I would like to put on record our sincere appreciation to all our MAs for outlining their ambition to extend and expand on our proud legacy.”
The 18th edition in Qatar not only broke spectatorship attendance records across the FIFA World Cup venues but also achieved 7.9 billion digital impressions. The event reached an unprecedented global audience, with 60 broadcasters covering the thrilling action in over 160 territories and nations.
With Saudi Arabia confirmed as the host for the upcoming edition in 2027 at the 33rd AFC Congress held in Manama, Bahrain, the eventual host of the AFC Asian Cup 2031™ will be expected to strengthen the Continent’s most coveted men’s national team competition.
Shaikh Salman added: “Hosting the AFC Asian Cup™ has consistently provided tangible and intangible benefits, including infrastructure development, enhanced connectivity, organisational expertise, elevated football technical standards and solidifying the host nation’s status as a global sports hub.
“The unprecedented level of interest we have witnessed reflects both the high ambitions of the AFC’s Member Associations and their increasing confidence in their own capacities and capabilities to host a tournament as significant as the AFC Asian Cup™.
“Ultimately, this conviction is a tribute to the AFC’s investment in its Member Associations and further reinforces the collective strength and progress of Asian football.”
Moving forward, the AFC will now work with the Bidding MAs on the delivery of the necessary bidding documentation in accordance with the established timelines and processes.
Additionally, the AFC Executive Committee ratified the decisions of all the Standing Committees, including the Organising Committee for AFC Asian Cup, the AFC Finance Committee, the AFC Competitions Committee and the AFC Professional Football Committee.
