AFC Asian Cup

About this event

The AFC Asian Cup is the continental championship for men's national teams in Asia and the second-oldest continental football tournament in the world, first played in Hong Kong in 1956. It is held every four years and expanded to twenty-four teams from the 2019 edition, widening the field well beyond the traditional powers. Japan are the most successful nation with four titles, ahead of Saudi Arabia and Iran with three each, and the entry of Australia into the confederation in 2006 added another serious contender. The competition spans a genuinely vast confederation, from the Levant and the Gulf through Central and South Asia to East Asia and Oceania, so squads and playing styles vary more than in any other continental tournament. The 2027 edition is hosted by Saudi Arabia and runs from 7 January to 6 February across several host cities, with the stadium list and match draw determining where supporters of each nation will be based.