AFC Confirms Asian Cup Bids For 2031 And 2035

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed it has received multiple bids from Member Associations interested in hosting the AFC Asian Cup 2035™, marking the next step in the confederation’s long-term tournament planning.

The bidding process follows a proposal made by AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa at the 35th AFC Congress, suggesting that host selections for the 2031 and 2035 editions of the tournament be presented for approval at a single Congress.

Invitations to bid for the 2035 tournament were circulated to Member Associations on 27 August 2025, with the submission deadline closing on 31 December. The AFC said the process attracted interest from several leading football nations across the continent.

Four Member Associations have formally declared their intention to bid for the AFC Asian Cup 2035™: Football Australia, the Japan Football Association, the Korea Football Association and the Kuwait Football Association.

The update also follows developments in the race to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031™, where the bidding process was completed last year. After the United Arab Emirates Football Association withdrew its bid, six candidates remain in contention for the 2031 edition: Football Australia, the All India Football Federation, the Football Association of Indonesia, the Korea Football Association, the Kuwait Football Association, and a joint bid from the Kyrgyz Football Union, Tajikistan Football Federation and Uzbekistan Football Association.

The AFC said it will now work closely with all bidding Member Associations for both tournaments to coordinate the submission of detailed bidding documentation. These submissions will be assessed in line with the confederation’s established timelines, regulations and evaluation procedures, ahead of a final decision on the hosts.

_{Featured Image Credit: Unsplash / Fré Sonneveld, Unsplash / Hadi Yazdi Aznaveh}