India bids to host 2027 Asian Cup

India has formally submitted its bid to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, following the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) having extended the deadline for bids due to COVID-19 from 31st March to 30th June.

All India Football Federation General Secretary Kushal Das advised Press Trust India (PTI) “we have already submitted our expression of interest to the AFC. That is what’s required as of now.”

India had been linked with a bid for the 2023 edition of the tournament, alongside Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea, but all four countries pulled out allowing China to later secure hosting rights. China will host the 2023 tournament across 10 cities.

India joins Saudi Arabia in publicly declaring their interest in hosting the continent’s most prestigious football tournament for 2027. South Korea is also reportedly considering a bid.

Malaysia was also another potential bidder, but Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) general secretary Stuart Ramalingam has halted speculation advising the New Straits Times “we are not yet ready to host the Asian Cup. We need the government’s involvement and, at this juncture, it’s not the right time to look that way.”

The AFC is expected to announce the winning bid early next year.

India is already set to host the 2022 Women’s AFC Asian Cup and was also due to host the U17 Fifa World Cup in November before it was postponed due to COVID-19.