Saudi Arabia in line to be awarded 2027 AFC Asian Cup after India withdraws bid

Saudi Arabia is set to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2027 after the All India Football Federation (AIFF) withdrew its bid to stage the national team tournament.

With Saudi Arabia now the sole candidate to host for the tournament, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF)’s bid will now be the only one presented to the 33rd AFC Congress meeting in Bahrain in February 2023.

Iran withdrew its proposal to host the tournament in October, while Uzbekistan was initially interested but stepped back in December 2020.

In a statement explaining its withdrawal, the AIFF said the hosting of big events does not currently fit into its strategic priorities, noting “our current focus is building the foundations of proper footballing structure before thinking of hosting bigger events like the AFC Asian Cup.”

Saudi Arabia has identified 10 stadiums across the three cities of Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah to host matches at the Asian Cup.

India hosted the 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in October while Saudi Arabia has submitted a bid to host the 2026 edition of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

The SAFF said that hosting the tournament would open “new horizons” for women’s football in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

It faces competition to host the event from Jordan, Australia and Uzbekistan.

An announcement on the 2027 host city had originally been scheduled to be made in 2021 but this was delayed and a decision is set to be made at the AFC Congress in 2023.

World Cup hosts and Asian Cup holders Qatar stepped in to host the 2023 tournament after the original hosts China pulled out as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Image: The King Abdullah Sports City in the Saudi city of Jeddah.