https://arab.news/j3wny
- The announcement was made at the 33rd AFC Congress in Manama
Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup at the 33rd Asian Football Federation Congress in Manama on Wednesday afternoon.
It will be the first time that the tournament will be held in the Kingdom, with the Green Falcons having won the competitions three times previously (1984, 1988, 1996).
Four other nations had initially bid to host the tournament, including Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Qatar.
Iran and Uzbekistan were the first to withdraw, with Qatar following as it filled in the vacancy left by China for the 2023 edition.
When India withdrew in December, Saudi Arabia were left unopposed to win the vote.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hailed the result announcing the Kingdom's hosting of the tournament in 2027. "We commend the results of the bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the Kingdom and the Asian Federation in terms of efforts to achieve the aspirations of our young men and women."
Meanwhile, the Saudi minister of sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal received the certificate approving the Kingdom to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
"Saudi Arabia is ready to host the competition, we have the passion, support and facilities to drive football forward for Asia," he said.
He added: "The Asian cup we deliver will take the tournament to the next level. This will be the most profitable in the history of our confederation for both AFC and its members."