[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host country for the 2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Men's Asian Cup.
On the 1st (local time), the AFC announced at the 33rd AFC Congress held in Manama, Bahrain, that Saudi Arabia was selected as the host for the 2027 Men's Asian Cup.
India, Iran, Qatar, and Uzbekistan had also expressed plans to bid for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, but all withdrew their plans, leaving Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate.
The AFC Asian Cup, first held in 1956 in Hong Kong, is Asia's most prestigious national football competition and is held every four years. Until 2004, it was held in even-numbered years, but to avoid overlapping with other international events such as the Olympics, it has been held in odd-numbered years since 2007.
The 2019 tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and this year's tournament saw China become the sole candidate after South Korea withdrew its bid. However, China gave up hosting rights due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the hosting rights being transferred to Qatar. With Saudi Arabia confirmed as the host for 2027, the Asian Cup will be held in the Middle East for the third consecutive time.
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