Regional soccer governing body the Asian Football Confederation has received four bids to host its flagship 2035 Asian Cup tournament, while six proposals remain for the 2031 edition following the withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The AFC announced Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Kuwait have formally expressed their interest in hosting the quadrennial national teams tournament in 2035.
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The governing body invited its member associations to express their interest in staging the tournament last August, giving them until the end of December 2025 to declare their intent.
The AFC said it will now engage with the respective governing bodies – Football Australia, the Japan Football Association, the Korea Football Association, and the Kuwait Football Association – to coordinate their bidding documentation “in accordance with the established timelines, regulations, and evaluation processes.”
At the same time, the AFC confirmed six bids for the 2031 edition after the UAE withdrew from the process in November, with Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Kuwait remaining, as well as a joint bid by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
None of the Central Asian nations featured in the joint bid has hosted the tournament before, but Uzbekistan is set to stage the women’s event in 2029.
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By GlobalDataThe AFC said it is looking to announce the host of both editions at a single annual congress following a proposal by its president, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.
The most recent edition of the tournament in Qatar in 2023 broke attendance records, achieved 7.9 billion digital impressions, and had 60 broadcasters covering the event across 160 territories.
Saudi Arabia has already been confirmed as the host for the upcoming men’s edition in 2027, while Australia is preparing to stage the Women’s Asian Cup next month from March 1 to 21.
