2031 Asian Cup: AFC President to propose joint vote for 2031 and 2035 editions

KUALA LUMPUR: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has proposed a joint vote for the 2031 and 2035 Asian Cup hosts following a record seven expressions of interest for the 2031 tournament. The announcement was made during the AFC’s annual congress held in Kuala Lumpur.

Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and a joint Central Asian bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan all submitted their intent to host the 2031 edition before last month’s deadline.

“I’m delighted to report that the bidding process for the AFC Asian Cup 2031 has received a record level of interest with seven bidders signalling their intent,” said Sheikh Salman. “This remarkable response underscores the bright future of Asian football.”

Notably, India and the Central Asian nations have never hosted the tournament, while South Korea last staged the finals in 1960.

With no date yet set to decide the host nation, Sheikh Salman has requested the AFC administration to explore the feasibility of presenting bids for both the 2031 and 2035 editions for approval at the same congress, saying it would give selected hosts more time to prepare and raise organisational standards.

The next edition of the AFC Asian Cup will be played in Saudi Arabia in 2027.(Reuters)