The AFC Asian Cup 2027 is scheduled to take place from January 7 to February 5, 2027, across three cities in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar. This marks the first time the country will host the prestigious tournament.
The announcement, made by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), revealed that five stadiums in Riyadh will be used for the matches, while Jeddah will have two venues, and a new stadium will be built in Al Khobar.
In Riyadh, the matches will be played across several top-tier venues, including the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, the King Saud University Stadium, the Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, the Kingdom Arena, and the Al Shabab Stadium.
Jeddah will host the competition at the King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadiums. Meanwhile, a state-of-the-art stadium will be constructed in Al Khobar, ensuring that all three cities boast world-class facilities for the tournament.
Saudi Arabia was named the host nation for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in 2023, and the confirmation of dates and stadiums marks an important milestone in the country’s journey to hosting the tournament.
Yasser Al Misehal, the President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, expressed his excitement about the progress made and the collaboration with the AFC to ensure a successful and memorable tournament.
“Confirming the dates and selecting the stadiums for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 is a strategic milestone in our journey to host the tournament. This announcement goes beyond simply identifying locations and schedules; it reflects the ongoing high-level collaboration between us and the AFC,” Al Misehal said.
The tournament will feature 24 national teams from across Asia. As of now, 18 teams have already secured their spots, while the remaining six places will be decided through the final round of qualifiers, set to begin in March 2025.
The qualification process will include six groups of four teams each, with the winners of each group earning a place in the final tournament.
India, which is aiming for its fifth appearance in the AFC Asian Cup, has been drawn into Group C. The team will face off against Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh in the qualifiers.
India will be hoping to build on its impressive performance in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, where the team made significant strides on the continental stage, and is looking to replicate or even surpass that success in 2027.
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