The final tournament saw 16 teams, with China included as hosts, earn their spots. Additionally, the highest-ranked team not yet qualified will compete in the Inter-confederation play-offs. Four top teams from AFC will secure spots at the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, alongside Uzbekistan, which earned automatic qualification as co-host.
Japan hosted the 1992 AFC Asian Cup, which was reduced to eight teams and two groups, where it emerged victorious after beating Saudi Arabia, then-defending champions, 1–0, to win the country’s first major international honour. Until the 1990s, Japan was mostly a small name in Asian football, and the country only qualified for the 1988 edition, the first time Japan took part in a continental football tournament. Both tournaments were Saudi Arabia’s debuts in any major competitions. Saudi Arabia, after an initial poor start, began to emerge as the country qualified, then won two consecutive Asian trophies in 1984 and 1988, overcoming both China and South Korea. The tournament became the preserve of Iran who won three consecutive tournaments in 1968, 1972 and 1976, with Iran hosting the former and the latter. The qualifying process involved the hosts plus the winners of the various zones (Central, Eastern and Western).
The tournament will be an important preparation opportunity ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, which will also be played in the ODI format. The third roundnote 1 of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification was played from 25 March 2025 to 4 June 2026. On 3 December 2025, the AFC announced that China will host the tournament for the second consecutive time after hosting it in 2025. Forty-six FIFA-affiliated nations are eligible to enter the joint qualification process for both the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup; Northern Mariana Islands, which is not a FIFA member, would have entered through the play-off round. Eighteen nations have qualified, including Saudi Arabia as the host nation, with six more spots to be decided through qualifiers. With 18 nations already qualified—including Saudi Arabia (host), Australia, Japan, Korea Republic, Iran, Qatar, UAE, and others—the event will strengthen football’s profile in Asia.
Venues
Since 2019, no third place play-off has been played; from 2023, losing semi-finalists are ranked by the AFC based on goal difference in the semi-finals. First four edition of when is the Asian Cup final competition only had four or five teams and played in one single group. Each team plays three games in a group of four, with the winners and runners-up from each group advancing to the knockout stage along with four best third-placed teams. Using the same format of the two previous editions, this tournament only had four teams and played in one single group to determine the champions. This is the leading international competition one the continent, with the Asian Cup qualifying fixtures available at Sportsgambler.com to indicate the teams who are battling it out for a spot in the finals.
From the 2019 tournament forward, the number of teams was expanded from 16 teams to 24 teams, with the qualifying process doubling as part of the FIFA World Cup qualification. The winning team becomes the champions of Asia and, until 2015, qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup. You can scroll through the latest information and work out the teams who are on course to be competing against the other leading sides from the continent and it’s great to be in the know ahead of the next round of games. If you’re looking for Asian Cup results, then you’ve come to the right place and we’re able to supply the scores for each of the football games as soon as the full-time whistle has blown. It’s great to find out the various soccer games and qualifiers and work out what’s going to happen for each group match.
As of September 2026, tickets are not on sale and no prices have been announced. Al Khobar in the Eastern Province hosts games at the new 45,000-seat Aramco Stadium. The capital stages matches in five stadiums, led by the 72,000-seat King Fahd Sports City Stadium, home of the opening match. Eight stadiums across three cities stage the tournament.
The fixtures will help you understand when games are taking place between the big Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, India, Australia and China, with the dates and the kick-off times outlined on our site. This is a football competition which takes place every four years and it’s important to access the Asian Cup fixtures, whether that’s for the final tournament or the qualifying games which take place in the lead-up to the big competition. Asia Cup 2027 is expected to be played across Bangladesh’s top cricket stadiums, with each venue set to host key matches during the tournament. Matches are played at eight stadiums across three cities — Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. Tensions between the two Koreas during qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup led North Korea to withdraw from hosting the South Korean team and refusing to display the South Korean flag and play their national anthem.
Saudi Arabia, hosting the tournament for the first time, will host matches across eight venues in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar. Teams advancing to the third round of the 2026 Asian World Cup qualifiers were granted automatic entry to the Asian Cup. Stay informed with the most recent updates on Asian Cup 2027 scores, match results, league standings, and fixture schedules. On February 10, 2024, the AFC revealed that Qatar’s tournament attendance of 1.06 million had exceeded the previous record of 1.04 million set during China’s 2004 event. After the 2016 attack on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran, Saudi Arabia declined to face Iran, even threatening to withdraw, escalating tensions internationally. In the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, Lebanon made its debut in an Asian tournament, while Saudi Arabia again reached the final—this time, Japan defeated them 1–0, despite a majority of Saudi supporters attending.
Iran extends an appearance streak running since 1968, while Singapore qualified on merit for the first time. Both the opening match and the Final will take place at King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh, establishing the capital as the venue for the tournament’s first and last fixtures. The allocation of fixtures across the three host cities provides clarity for operational planning and fan arrangements ahead of the competition. The Asian Football Confederation has confirmed the match schedule for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, setting the tournament dates from January 7th, 2027 to February 5th, 2027.
Watching the tournament from Bangladesh
A total of 16 teams will play in the tournament. Afc asian cup 2027 afc asian cup groups afc asian cup teams asian football asian group asian teams Football – Articles and Posts football news soccer soccer news Their meeting could have a major effect on the knockout bracket, especially if one of the favourites finishes second rather than first. The six third-placed teams are then compared, with the four best third-placed sides also qualifying. The teams hosting the qualification groups are also allocated to an additional “Hosts Pot”, to ensure they are drawn into different groups.
Eight stadiums across three host cities—Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar—will host matches, with each city anchored by a main stadium. The tournament will take place from January 7 to February 5, 2027, as announced by the AFC and the local organizing committee via the Saudi Press Agency. The use of upgraded and new stadiums reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to modern infrastructure, which also aligns with goals to boost tourism and international cooperation. This announcement builds on the Kingdom’s successful organization of major events, including the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, the Spanish and Italian Super Cups, and upcoming events like Formula 1 and the Dakar Rally.
ACC Leadership and the 2027 Tournament
Visitors from the EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, and Russia can purchase a tourist eVisa online at visa.visitsaudi.com. No official release dates or ticket prices for the event have been disclosed as of September 2026. Secure your matchday tickets early, as the most sought-after dates sell out quickly. Riyadh and Jeddah serve as key aviation centers, offering direct flights from Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Only the group winners of each group qualified for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, where they joined the 18 teams which qualified directly from the second round. The 24 teams were divided into six groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. One team advanced to the inter-confederation play-off tournament.
Designed to feel confident, contemporary and full of energy, and shaped by a vision to inspire the next generation of footballers and fans across the Continent, the bold and contemporary visual identity reflects the unique spirit and culture of the hosts, while also celebrating the unifying power of Asian football. Capacities and the full venue list are on the stadiums page. The AFC’s schedule allocates every match to one of the eight stadiums; this page will add the stadium for each fixture once the AFC’s per-match venue list is cross-checked, so that no venue is published here on the strength of a single reading of the schedule grid. Saudi Arabia are hosting the Asian Cup for the first time; they have won it three times (1984, 1988 and 1996) and lost the 2000 and 2007 finals.