The Asian Football Confederation announces the dates and stadiums of the Asian Cup “Saudi Arabia 2027”

Tournament Dates and Schedule

The Asian Football Confederation and the Local Organizing Committee of the Asian Cup “Saudi Arabia 2027” announced the date of holding the tournament, which will begin with the opening match of the 19th edition of the Asian Cup on Thursday, January 7, 2027, while the final match of the tournament will be held on Friday, February 5.

Stadiums and Host Cities

The Asian Football Confederation and the Local Organizing Committee approved holding the tournament on eight stadiums, distributed among 3 host cities: (Riyadh – Jeddah – Al Khobar). The list of announced stadiums also includes three main stadiums in the three cities, as the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, which is subject to comprehensive renovation work according to the highest specifications, as it is one of the main stadiums in the city of Riyadh, and the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah (Al-Jawhara), which hosted the opening and final of the Club World Cup 2023, in addition to the new architectural masterpiece stadium in Al-Khobar Governorate.

Additional Stadiums

The list also includes King Saud University Stadium, Al-Shabab Club Stadium, and Kingdom Arena Stadium in Riyadh, in addition to the Imam Muhammad bin Saud University Stadium, which is awaiting a development project that includes increasing the capacity of the stands to 21,000 fans, in addition to developing all facilities and the main stadium to be compatible with the requirements of the Asian Football Confederation, and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, which hosted a number of matches of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup.

Chairman’s Statement

For his part, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation, Yasser bin Hassan Al-Meshal, considered the announcement of the dates and stadiums of the 2027 Asian Cup an important stage in the hosting project, and said: “The local organizing committee for the tournament is working to ensure the organization of an exceptional version of the largest continental tournament, to live up to the aspirations of the Asian continent. Thanks to the generous support from the wise leadership – may God protect it – and the continuous follow-up from His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Minister of Sports, which enabled the Saudi Football Association to be with the ranks of the major football federations, praising in this regard His Excellency Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation, and all employees of the Continental Confederation, for their continued support and cooperation.”

KSA’s Hosting Ambitions

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to host the 2027 Asian Cup to complete the process of major sports hosting as one of the fruits of investment and empowerment for the sports sector since the launch of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, of which sports is one of its main pillars, as the Kingdom recently hosted a number of important football events, most notably the 2023 Club World Cup, to mention in addition to the Spanish and Italian Super Cups, in addition to hosting the final rounds of the AFC Elite Champions League for the 2024-2025 seasons / 2025 – 2026, and major sports hosting in various sports such as Formula 1 racing and the Dakar Desert Rally.

Qualifiers and Participating Teams

It is noteworthy that 18 Asian teams snatched the ticket for the 2027 Asian Cup, which are: Saudi Arabia (the host country), Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Iran, Qatar, the Emirates, Japan, South Korea, Oman, Palestine, Jordan, Bahrain, China, Indonesia, North Korea, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan, while 6 seats remain for 24 teams to compete for in the final stage of the Asian Cup qualifiers.

See Also

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Conclusion

The announcement of the dates and stadiums of the 2027 Asian Cup marks an important milestone in the hosting project, and we look forward to an exceptional version of the largest continental tournament, which will live up to the aspirations of the Asian continent.

FAQs

* When will the 2027 Asian Cup take place?
+ The tournament will begin on Thursday, January 7, 2027, and the final match will be held on Friday, February 5.
* Which cities will host the tournament?
+ The tournament will be held in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.
* How many stadiums will be used for the tournament?
+ The tournament will be held on eight stadiums.
* Which teams have qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup?
+ 18 Asian teams have qualified, including Saudi Arabia, Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and others.