The Asian Football Confederation announced the date of the next edition of the 2027 Asian Cup, hosted by Saudi Arabia.
The AFC stated today that it was decided to hold the tournament during the period from January 7 to February 5, 2027, in three cities, namely the capital, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar.
Five stadiums have been identified in Riyadh to host the matches, which are the stadiums of King Fahd Sports City, King Saud University, Imam Muhammad bin Saud University, Kingdom Arena, and Al-Shabab Club.
As for the city of Jeddah, two stadiums were confirmed: King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City, with the construction of a new stadium with modern specifications in the city of Al-Khobar, to complete the global infrastructure designated to receive the best 24 teams on the continent.
Mariano Araneta Junior, Chairman of the Asian Cup Organizing Committee, who was briefed on the future plans during the third meeting of the committee in Riyadh, before the decisions were approved by the Executive Office of the Asian Football Confederation, said that the last edition of the Asian Cup, which Qatar hosted in 2023 It exceeded all expectations, after Qatar set a standard of excellence for all future editions of this most important tournament in the Asian continent.
He explained that the AFC is committed to improving this tournament with each edition, and the foundations have now been laid to ensure that Saudi Arabia hosts an exceptional tournament in 2027.
He pointed out that international football is currently focusing on Saudi Arabia, offering his thanks to the Saudi Football Association and the local organizing committee for their wonderful efforts so far.
Junior continued: We are confident that they will rely on their excellent organizational abilities and generous hospitality for the benefit of everyone on the continent and abroad, and we wish them every success.
It is worth noting that the 2027 Asian Cup will be held with the participation of 24 teams, 18 of which have guaranteed their presence in the next finals, and they are the teams that qualified for the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup finals, while the remaining seats will be determined through the final round of qualifiers, which It is scheduled to begin in March 2025, and will include six groups, each of which includes four teams, with the first-place finisher in each group qualifying to complete the final roster for the tournament.