Australia and Japan among bidders for 2035 Asian Cup hosting as AFC lines up joint decision

Australia, Japan, Korea Republic and Kuwait have expressed interest in hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2035, the Asian Football Confederation has confirmed, as the governing body works towards selecting hosts for both the 2031 and 2035 editions at a single congress. The AFC said Australia, Korea Republic and Kuwait have entered the process for 2035 while also pursuing the right to stage the 2031 finals. Japan has registered interest in hosting the 2035 tournament only.The 2031 race already includes bids from India and Indonesia, alongside a joint Central Asian bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The United Arab Emirates, which hosted the tournament in 2019, had previously been part of the 2031 field but withdrew its bid in November 2025. The AFC’s update follows a proposal from president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa to explore approving the host selections for 2031 and 2035 at a single AFC Congress, in a move designed to give the confederation and bidders longer-term certainty over infrastructure planning, commercial alignment and tournament delivery.AFC President Sheikh Salman ​bin Ebrahim ⁠Al Khalifa said. “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. “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.” In its latest statement, the AFC said: "The AFC will now engage with the respective BMAs (bidding member associations) to coordinate the submission of the required bidding documentation." Saudi Arabia are due to host the next men’s Asian Cup in 2027, after the 2023 edition was staged in Qatar. The Asian Cup is the confederation’s flagship national-team competition and is held every four years. The tournament’s next two hosting decisions carry increased strategic weight as the AFC seeks to build consistency in venue standards, fan experience and commercial returns across its major events, while also allowing bidders time to develop government and private-sector guarantees required by the process.A timeline for the final vote has not been confirmed in the AFC’s latest update, but the confederation has signalled that both tournaments could be brought forward together for approval at an annual congress, rather than separate decisions years apart.