2027 AFC Asian Cup


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. 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.
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.
[Qatar national association football|football team|Qatar] are the two-time defending champions.
WWW the-afc.com/en/national/a...

Host selection

AFC confirmed the list of member associations expressed their interests to host 2027 Asian Cup before the 30 June 2020 deadline, and they gave their necessary letters of undertaking in November. 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. However, India, one of the last two bidders, withdrew on 5 December 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.

Venues

The 2027 AFC Asian Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February 2027. The tournament will be played across eight stadiums in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar.
CityStadiumCapacityImage
RiyadhKing Fahd Sports City Stadium70,200
RiyadhKing Saud University Stadium26,004
RiyadhKingdom Arena30,000
RiyadhImam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium21,000
RiyadhAl Shabab Stadium13,537
JeddahKing Abdullah Sports City Stadium62,345
JeddahPrince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium27,000
KhobarAramco Stadium46,096

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.
The Northern Mariana Islands, whose football association became the 47th full AFC member during the confederation's 30th Congress on 9 December 2020, was only eligible to enter the qualification tournament for the Asian Cup, but was ultimately excluded.

Qualified teams

Singapore qualified for the first time on merit, after hosting the 1984 AFC Asian Cup. North Korea returned after missing the previous tournament in 2023, while Kuwait return to the tournament having last appeared in 2015.
Two nations from the previous edition failed to qualify — India and Hong Kong. Both of these teams were eliminated by Singapore after respectively placing fourth and second in their third round group. Iran meanwhile extended their qualification record; this was their sixteenth straight appearance in the tournament, having qualified for every edition since 1968.
TeamMethod of
qualification		Date of
qualification		Finals
appearances		First
appearance		Last
appearance		Previous best
performance
12th19842023
6th20072023
11th19722023
16th19682023
9th19962023
12th19802023
12th19802023
11th19882023
16th19562023
6th20042023
4th20152023
8th19882023
6th20042023
14th19762023
6th19962023
6th19802019
11th19722015
3rd20192023
8th19802023
2nd19841984
TBDThird round Group A winners
TBDThird round Group B winners
TBDThird round Group D winners
TBDThird round Group F winners2023

Group stage

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

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Group D

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Group E

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Group F

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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.

Knockout stage

In the knockout stage, extra time and a penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winner if necessary.

Bracket


''All times are local, SAST.''

Round of 16

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Quarter-finals

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Semi-finals

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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.

Sponsorship

Official Global Partners
Official Global Supporters

Broadcasting rights

The broadcasters around the world that acquired the rights to the tournament included:
TerritoryBroadcasterRef.
AustraliaParamount+ and Network 10
IndiaFancode
IndonesiaMNC Media
MENAbeIN Sports
South KoreaCoupang
ThailandBG Sports
VietnamTV360