India Joins Six Nations in Pursuit of AFC Asian Cup 2031 Hosting Rights

Synopsis

Kuala Lumpur, April 11 (NationPress) The president of the Asian Football Confederation, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, acknowledged the member associations for expressing interest in hosting the AFC Asian Cup 2031. India is among the seven nations competing for this prestigious tournament.

Key Takeaways

India is one of the seven nations interested in hosting.
A record seven EoIs were received by the AFC.
The other interested countries include Australia, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, UAE, and a joint bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
The AFC will hold a bidding workshop later this month.
The host for 2031 will be selected in 2026.

Kuala Lumpur, April 11 (NationPress) The president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, acknowledged the member associations of the continent after the confederation received an unprecedented seven Expressions of Interest (EoI) to be the host for the AFC Asian Cup 2031.

India is among the seven nations that have shown interest in hosting Asia’s premier men’s national team tournament. The other contenders include Australia, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, UAE, as well as a joint bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

During the sixth executive committee meeting of the AFC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held on the eve of the 35th AFC Congress, Shaikh Salman commended the record number of EoIs received, attributing this remarkable response to the increasing prestige of Asia’s flagship tournament.

In response to the AFC’s invitation issued on November 27, 2024, inviting all member associations to express interest in hosting the continental competition, the seven member associations submitted their EoIs by the deadline of March 31.

“The AFC Asian Cup is certainly one of the most remarkable success stories, and the last edition in Qatar solidified Asia’s flagship as one of the top football competitions globally. The record number of submissions we have received speaks volumes about the stature and allure of the AFC Asian Cup. On behalf of the AFC Executive Committee, I sincerely appreciate all our member associations for showcasing their ambition to build upon our proud legacy,” the AFC president stated.

With Saudi Arabia confirmed as the host for the upcoming edition in 2027 during the 33rd AFC Congress in Manama, Bahrain, the eventual host for the AFC Asian Cup 2031 is expected to enhance the continent’s most prestigious men’s national team competition.

The AFC will collaborate with the bidding member associations to provide the required bidding documentation according to established timelines, with a bidding workshop for the AFC Asian Cup 2031 planned for later this month.

Subsequently, the AFC Administration will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the bids prior to the selection of the host for the 24-team competition at the AFC Congress in 2026.

Additionally, the AFC executive committee endorsed the decisions of all standing committees, including the Organizing Committee for the AFC Asian Cup, the AFC Finance Committee, the AFC Competitions Committee, and the AFC Professional Football Committee.