March 23 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has decided “to discontinue the ongoing bidding processes” for the hosting of the 2031 and 2035 Asian Cups, as it reviews its international calendar.
The decision to suspend bidding follows a discussion with FIFA, to shift the tournament into even-numbered years – as seen in Europe and South America
“In principle, the AFC has taken note of this direction and will work towards aligning its competitions accordingly,” said the statement.
As a result of this the confederation said it is undertaking a full review of its international calendar.
“Given the far-reaching implications such a change would have on the scheduling and strategic planning of its premier national team competition, the AFC has initiated a broader review of its competitions calendar. As part of this process, it has been deemed appropriate to halt the current bidding cycles to provide greater clarity and ensure a more structured approach to future host selections,” said the statement.
FIFA’s international calendar of major events (held every four years) currently has the Women’s World Cup in 2027 (Brazil), 2031 (USA) and 2035 (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland joint bid). The men’s World Cup in 2030 and 2034, and the men’s Club World Cup in 2029.
UEFA’s Euro Championships is to be staged in 2028 in the UK.
The AFC is staging its Asian Cup in 2027 in Saudi Arabia and to fit into FIFA’s preferred view of the international calendar would next be staged in 2032.
Last month the AFC closed the initial bidding process for the 2035 Asian Cup with final host selection set to run in parallel with the decision on the 2031 edition.
Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea Republic and Kuwait, as well as a joint Central Asian bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan had been submitted for 2031.
Australia, Japan, Korea Republic and Kuwait had all formally lodged bids for 2035.
The plan had been to take both tournaments to a single Congress for approval with the thinking being that the early award of hosting rights offers long-term certainty around hosting rights, infrastructure planning and commercial alignment across its most important national team competition.
The AFC said it “expresses its sincere gratitude to all Bidding Member Associations for their enthusiasm, dedication and the significant efforts undertaken throughout the bidding processes.
“Further details on the revised competition calendar, along with information on future bidding opportunities, will be shared in due course. The AFC looks forward to the continued engagement of its Member Associations in shaping the future of the AFC Asian Cup.”
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