Asian Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027

• Saudi Arabia has won the bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup.
• The news was made during the AFC Congress in Manama, Bahrain.
• Prince bin Turki Al-Faisal said “The kingdom is changing before our eyes”.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia has won the bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup.

The news was made during the AFC Congress in Manama, Bahrain.

After India withdrew in December, Saudi Arabia was the only bidder left.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the kingdom’s minister of sports, said following the news, “We are eager to provide the biggest tournament in the competition’s history.

“The kingdom is changing before our eyes, and we are excited to see what it will look like in 2027.”

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into sports partnerships, including the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo, Formula One in Jeddah, and the lucrative LIV Golf Tour.

The Saudis, who watched as neighbouring Qatar held the World Cup in November and December, will host the women’s Asian Cup, the Olympic-sized Asian Games, and even the Asian Winter Games on artificial snow in the future years.

The desert country is also planning a World Cup, Summer Olympics, and even a Winter Olympics, among other significant events.

All of this is a part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s great plans, the de facto ruler, to modernise the Saudi economy and reduce its dependency on oil before the world switches to alternative fuels.

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, predicted that Saudi Arabia would host a wonderful Asian Cup at the Manama congress.

Qatar will serve as the 2023 Asian Cup’s host nation. China had originally agreed to host it, but due to Covid, they withdrew.

Every four years, the Asian Cup is held. The United Arab Emirates served as the tournament’s host nation for its most recent iteration, which Qatar won.

Three AFC Asian Cup championships have been won by Saudi Arabia.

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