2027 AFC Asian Cup
19th edition of the AFC Asian Cup
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2027 AFC Asian Cup will be the 19th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The tournament will involve 24 national teams after the expansion in 2019. It will be held in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February 2027.[1][2]
The tournament will return to its usual four-year cycle, after the 2023 edition was postponed to 2024 due to the removal of China as hosts and high summer temperatures in Qatar. This may be the final time the tournament is held on odd-numbered years, having been so since 2007, as the AFC considers moving the tournament to even-numbered years, last in 2004 due to FIFA concerning a potential revision to the international match calendar.[3]
Qatar are the two-time defending champions.
Host selection
AFC confirmed the list of member associations expressed their interests to host 2027 Asian Cup before the 30 June 2020 deadline,[4] and they gave their necessary letters of undertaking in November.[5] On 17 October 2022, the AFC Executive Committee announced that the host of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup would be chosen by the AFC Congress at its next meeting on 1 February 2023 in Manama, Bahrain.[6][7] However, India, one of the last two bidders, withdrew on 5 December[8] leaving Saudi Arabia as the only remaining bidder. On 1 February, the AFC confirmed that Saudi Arabia won the bid and will host the tournament for the first time.[1]
Venues
The tournament will be played across eight stadiums in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar.[9][10][11]
| City | Stadium | Capacity | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh | King Fahd Sports City Stadium | 70,200 (after renovation) |
 |
| King Saud University Stadium | 26,004 |  | |
| Kingdom Arena | 30,000 | | |
| Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium | 21,000 (after renovation) |
| |
| Al Shabab Stadium | 13,537 | | |
| Jeddah | King Abdullah Sports City Stadium | 62,345 |  |
| Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium | 27,000 |  | |
| Khobar | Aramco Stadium | 46,096 (new) |
|
Teams
The first two rounds of qualification acted as part of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Saudi Arabia, which received automatic qualification for the Asian Cup as host, also participated in the qualifiers to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.[12]
The Northern Mariana Islands, whose football association became the 47th full AFC member during the confederation's 30th Congress on 9 December 2020,[13] was only eligible to enter the qualification tournament for the Asian Cup, but was ultimately excluded.[14]
Qualified teams
Singapore has qualified on merit for the first time, having only previously appeared in 1984 as hosts.[15][16] Iran extended their qualification record, having qualified 16 straight times for every edition since 1968. No one of the South Asian national teams qualified.
| Team | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Finals appearances |
First appearance |
Last appearance |
Previous best performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Saudi Arabia | Hosts | 1 February 2023 | 12th | Winners (1984, 1988, 1996) | ||
 Australia | Second round Group I winners | 26 March 2024 | 6th | Winners (2015) | ||
 Iraq | Second round Group F winners | 26 March 2024 | 11th | Winners (2007) | ||
 Iran | Second round Group E winners | 26 March 2024 | 16th | Winners (1968, 1972, 1976) | ||
 Uzbekistan | Second round Group E runners-up | 26 March 2024 | 9th | Fourth place (2011) | ||
 Qatar | Second round Group A winners | 26 March 2024 | 12th | Winners (2019, 2023) | ||
 United Arab Emirates | Second round Group H winners | 26 March 2024 | 12th | Runners-up (1996) | ||
 Japan | Second round Group B winners | 2 April 2024 | 11th | Winners (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011) | ||
 South Korea | Second round Group C winners | 6 June 2024 | 16th | Winners (1956, 1960) | ||
 Oman | Second round Group D winners | 6 June 2024 | 6th | Round of 16 (2019) | ||
 Palestine | Second round Group I runners-up | 6 June 2024 | 4th | Round of 16 (2023) | ||
 Bahrain | Second round Group H runners-up | 6 June 2024 | 8th | Fourth place (2004) | ||
 Jordan | Second round Group G winners | 6 June 2024 | 6th | Runners-up (2023) | ||
 China | Second round Group C runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 14th | Runners-up (1984, 2004) | ||
 Indonesia | Second round Group F runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 6th | Round of 16 (2023) | ||
 North Korea | Second round Group B runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 6th | Fourth place (1980) | ||
 Kuwait | Second round Group A runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 11th | Winners (1980) | ||
 Kyrgyzstan | Second round Group D runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 3rd | Round of 16 (2019) | ||
 Syria | Third round Group E winners | 14 October 2025 | 8th | Round of 16 (2023) | ||
 Singapore | Third round Group C winners | 18 November 2025 | 2nd | Group stage (1984) | ||
 Vietnam | Third round Group F winners | 17 March 2026[a] | 6th | Fourth place (1956, 1960) | ||
 Thailand | Third round Group D winners | 31 March 2026 | 9th | Third place (1972) | ||
 Tajikistan | Third round Group A winners | 31 March 2026 | 2nd | Quarter-finals (2023) | ||
 Lebanon /  Yemen | Third round Group B winners | 4 June 2026 |
Draw
The draw was originally supposed to be held in Riyadh on 11 April 2026,[19] but was postponed amidst concerns over the 2026 Iran war. The draw has been rescheduled to take place in Riyadh on 9 May 2026 at 21:00 (UTC+3) at the At-Turaif District, Diriyah.[20]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia (61) (hosts) Japan (18) Iran (21) South Korea (25) Australia (27) Uzbekistan (50) |
Qatar (55) Iraq (57) Jordan (63) United Arab Emirates (68) Oman (79) Syria (84) |
Bahrain (91) Thailand (93) China (94) Palestine (95) Vietnam (99) Tajikistan (103) |
Kyrgyzstan (107) North Korea (118) Indonesia (122) Kuwait (134) Singapore (147) Third round Group B winners |
Group stage
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia (H) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | A2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | A3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | A4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(H) Hosts
| Saudi Arabia | Match 1 | A4 |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | Match | A3 |
|---|---|---|
| A3 | Match 13 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | Match | A2 |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Match 27 | A2 |
|---|---|---|
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | B2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | B3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | B4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| B1 | Match | B4 |
|---|---|---|
| B2 | Match | B3 |
|---|---|---|
| B3 | Match | B1 |
|---|---|---|
| B4 | Match | B2 |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | Match | B2 |
|---|---|---|
| B3 | Match | B4 |
|---|---|---|
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | C2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | C3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | C4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C1 | Match | C4 |
|---|---|---|
| C2 | Match | C3 |
|---|---|---|
| C3 | Match | C1 |
|---|---|---|
| C4 | Match | C2 |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Match | C2 |
|---|---|---|
| C3 | Match | C4 |
|---|---|---|
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | D2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | D3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | D4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D1 | Match | D4 |
|---|---|---|
| D2 | Match | D3 |
|---|---|---|
| D3 | Match | D1 |
|---|---|---|
| D4 | Match | D2 |
|---|---|---|
| D1 | Match | D2 |
|---|---|---|
| D3 | Match | D4 |
|---|---|---|
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | E2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | E3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | E4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| E1 | Match | E4 |
|---|---|---|
| E2 | Match | E3 |
|---|---|---|
| E3 | Match | E1 |
|---|---|---|
| E4 | Match | E2 |
|---|---|---|
| E1 | Match | E2 |
|---|---|---|
| E3 | Match | E4 |
|---|---|---|
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | F2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | F3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | F4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F1 | Match | F4 |
|---|---|---|
| F2 | Match | F3 |
|---|---|---|
| F3 | Match | F1 |
|---|---|---|
| F4 | Match | F2 |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | Match | F2 |
|---|---|---|
| F3 | Match | F4 |
|---|---|---|
Ranking of third-placed teams
The four best third-placed teams from the six groups advanced to the knockout stage along with the six group winners and six runners-up.
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Third place Group A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | B | Third place Group B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | C | Third place Group C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | D | Third place Group D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | E | Third place Group E | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | F | Third place Group F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Knockout stage
In the knockout stage, extra time and a penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winner if necessary.
| Third-placed teams qualify from groups |
1A vs |
1B vs |
1C vs |
1D vs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | D | 3C | 3D | 3A | 3B | |||
| A | B | C | E | 3C | 3A | 3B | 3E | |||
| A | B | C | F | 3C | 3A | 3B | 3F | |||
| A | B | D | E | 3D | 3A | 3B | 3E | |||
| A | B | D | F | 3D | 3A | 3B | 3F | |||
| A | B | E | F | 3E | 3A | 3B | 3F | |||
| A | C | D | E | 3C | 3D | 3A | 3E | |||
| A | C | D | F | 3C | 3D | 3A | 3F | |||
| A | C | E | F | 3C | 3A | 3F | 3E | |||
| A | D | E | F | 3D | 3A | 3F | 3E | |||
| B | C | D | E | 3C | 3D | 3B | 3E | |||
| B | C | D | F | 3C | 3D | 3B | 3F | |||
| B | C | E | F | 3E | 3C | 3B | 3F | |||
| B | D | E | F | 3E | 3D | 3B | 3F | |||
| C | D | E | F | 3C | 3D | 3F | 3E | |||
Bracket
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
| 22 January – Riyadh (Kingdom) | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group A | ||||||||||||||
| 28 January – Riyadh (Kingdom) | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group C | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 37 | ||||||||||||||
| 23 January – Riyadh (Imam Mohammed) | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 39 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group D | ||||||||||||||
| 1 February – Khobar | ||||||||||||||
| Third Group B/E/F | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 45 | ||||||||||||||
| 22 January – Riyadh (Al Shabab) | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 46 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group B | ||||||||||||||
| 28 January – Jeddah (King Abdullah) | ||||||||||||||
| Third Group A/C/D | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 38 | ||||||||||||||
| 24 January – Riyadh (King Fahd) | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 41 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group F | ||||||||||||||
| 5 February – Riyadh (King Fahd) | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group E | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 49 | ||||||||||||||
| 25 January – Jeddah (King Abdullah) | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 50 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group C | ||||||||||||||
| 29 January – Riyadh (King Fahd) | ||||||||||||||
| Third Group A/B/F | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 44 | ||||||||||||||
| 25 January – Riyadh (King Saud) | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 43 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group E | ||||||||||||||
| 2 February – Jeddah (King Abdullah) | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group D | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 47 | ||||||||||||||
| 23 January – Khobar | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 48 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group A | ||||||||||||||
| 29 January – Khobar | ||||||||||||||
| Third Group C/D/E | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 40 | ||||||||||||||
| 24 January – Jeddah (Prince Abdullah) | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 42 | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group B | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group F | ||||||||||||||
Round of 16
| Runner-up Group A | Match 37 | Runner-up Group C |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group B | Match 38 | Third Group A/C/D |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group D | Match 39 | Third Group B/E/F |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group A | Match 40 | Third Group C/D/E |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group F | Match 41 | Runner-up Group E |
|---|---|---|
| Runner-up Group B | Match 42 | Runner-up Group F |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group E | Match 43 | Runner-up Group D |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group C | Match 44 | Third Group A/B/F |
|---|---|---|
Quarter-finals
| Winner Match 37 | Match 45 | Winner Match 39 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Match 38 | Match 46 | Winner Match 41 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Match 44 | Match 47 | Winner Match 43 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Match 40 | Match 48 | Winner Match 42 |
|---|---|---|
Semi-finals
| Winner Match 45 | Match 49 | Winner Match 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Match 47 | Match 50 | Winner Match 48 |
|---|---|---|
Final
| Winner Match 49 | Match 51 | Winner Match 50 |
|---|---|---|
Marketing
Brand
The official logo was unveiled on 24 January 2026. It consists of a wordmark and a trophy symbol derived from Najdi stepped geometry, an architectural and decorative style native to Saudi Arabia. This geometric form, traditionally found in carved patterns, Al Sadu textiles, and regional ornamentation, is characterized by a stepped structure that emphasizes rhythm and balance. The logo is accompanied by decorative patterns referencing Najdi architectural motifs and traditional Saudi craftsmanship, commonly used in homes and doorways, symbolizing hospitality.[22]
Sponsorship
Official Global Partners
Official Global Supporters
Official Regional Partners
- Alrajhi Bank (for Saudi Arabia, in conjunction with Visa)
EA Sports FC becomes the official licensed product for the 2027 Asian Cup, replacing Konami's EFootball which served the role for the 2023 edition.
Broadcasting rights
See also
Notes
- On 26 September 2025, FIFA sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia and seven players for using falsified eligibility documents. These players played in two qualification matches against Nepal and Vietnam.[17] On 5 March 2026, CAS upheld the sanctions, and the AFC overturned Malaysia's wins against Nepal (on 25 March 2025) and Vietnam (on 10 June 2025) to 0–3 defeats on 17 March 2026.[18] The decision effectively qualified Vietnam and eliminated Malaysia, and this date represents the day that the decision was announced.