Asian Football Confederation confirms India’s bid to host Asian Cup 2031

NEW DELHI: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed that India has bid for the 2031 AFC Asian Cup in an official statement on Wednesday.

India was one of the six bidders vying for the hosting rights alongside Australia, South Korea, Kuwait, Indonesia and a joint bid by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

“The AFC Asian Cup is undoubtedly one of the greatest success stories and the last edition in Qatar firmly cemented Asia’s flagship as one of the best football competitions in the world,” Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the president of AFC, said.

“The record number of bids that we have received is further testament to the stature and appeal of the AFC Asian Cup, and on behalf of the AFC Executive Committee, I would like to put on record our sincere appreciation to all our MAs for outlining their ambition to extend and expand on our proud legacy.”

The bidding process for the 2031 Asian Cup was completed last year, while that for the 2035 edition was circulated to Member Associations on August 27, 2025, with the submission window closing on December 31, 2025.

After the end of the deadline, the AFC confirmed that Australia, Japan, South Korea and Kuwait have formally expressed interest in hosting the 2035 edition.

The Confederation is expected to confirm hosts for both the quadrennial continental showpieces at a single annual congress following a proposal by its president.

“The AFC will now engage with the respective BMAs (bidding member associations) to coordinate the submission of the required bidding documentation,” it said in a statement. Agencies

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