A total of 16 teams, including hosts China, qualified for the final tournament. In addition, the next best-placed team will qualify for the Inter-confederation the final at King Fahd Sports City Stadium play-off tournament. The top four teams will qualify for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as the AFC representatives besides Uzbekistan which automatically qualified as co-host.
Japan hosted the 1992 AFC Asian Cup, which was reduced to eight teams and two groups, where it emerged victorious after beating Saudi Arabia, then-defending champions, 1–0, to win the country’s first major international honour. Until the 1990s, Japan was mostly a small name in Asian football, and the country only qualified for the 1988 edition, the first time Japan took part in a continental football tournament. Both tournaments were Saudi Arabia’s debuts in any major competitions. Saudi Arabia, after an initial poor start, began to emerge as the country qualified, then won two consecutive Asian trophies in 1984 and 1988, overcoming both China and South Korea. The tournament became the preserve of Iran who won three consecutive tournaments in 1968, 1972 and 1976, with Iran hosting the former and the latter. The qualifying process involved the hosts plus the winners of the various zones (Central, Eastern and Western).
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, set to be held in ODI format, will serve as a crucial warm-up for participating teams. The third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification was conducted between March 25, 2025, and June 4, 2026. On December 3, 2025, the AFC revealed that China would host the tournament consecutively for the second time, following its 2025 hosting. The joint qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup is open to 46 FIFA-affiliated nations, while Northern Mariana Islands—non-FIFA members—would have participated via the play-off round. Sixteen nations will compete in the qualifiers, with Saudi Arabia already secured as the host nation, to fill the remaining spots. With Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Qatar, UAE, and others among the 18 qualified nations, the tournament promises to elevate Asian football’s global standing.
Venues
Since 2019, there has been no third-place play-off, and since 2023, semi-final losers are ranked by the AFC based on their semi-final goal difference. The first four editions featured only four or five teams competing in a single group format. In groups of four, each team plays three matches; the top two and the four best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage. Mirroring the format of the last two tournaments, this edition featured just four teams competing in a single group to determine the champion. Ranked as the premier international competition on the continent, the Asian Cup qualifying fixtures are available on Sportsgambler.com, highlighting the teams vying for final spots.
Starting from the 2019 tournament, the number of participating teams doubled from 16 to 24, with qualifying also serving as part of the FIFA World Cup pathway. The victorious team earns the title of Asian champions and, prior to 2015, secured a spot in the FIFA Confederations Cup. Stay updated with the latest developments to identify which teams are on track to face Asia’s top contenders in the upcoming matches. For all Asian Cup results, this platform delivers live scores as soon as each game concludes. Keeping track of soccer fixtures and qualifiers helps predict the outcomes of every group match.
As of September 2026, tickets are not on sale and no prices have been announced. Al Khobar in the Eastern Province hosts games at the new 45,000-seat Aramco Stadium. The capital stages matches in five stadiums, led by the 72,000-seat King Fahd Sports City Stadium, home of the opening match. Eight stadiums across three cities stage the tournament.
The fixtures will help you understand when games are taking place between the big Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, India, Australia and China, with the dates and the kick-off times outlined on our site. This is a football competition which takes place every four years and it’s important to access the Asian Cup fixtures, whether that’s for the final tournament or the qualifying games which take place in the lead-up to the big competition. Asia Cup 2027 is expected to be played across Bangladesh’s top cricket stadiums, with each venue set to host key matches during the tournament. Matches are played at eight stadiums across three cities — Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. Tensions between the two Koreas during qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup led North Korea to withdraw from hosting the South Korean team and refusing to display the South Korean flag and play their national anthem.
Saudi Arabia — the country’s first time hosting the tournament — at eight stadiums in Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. Direct entryTeams that reached the third round of Asian World Cup 2026 qualifying were already qualified for the Asian Cup. Keep up to date with the latest Asian Cup 2027 score, results, standings and fixtures. On 10 February 2024, the AFC announced that the tournament in Qatar had surpassed the previous total attendance record of 1.04 million set during the 2004 tournament in China, with a new record of 1.06 million. Following the 2016 attack on the Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran, Saudi Arabia refused to play against Iran and even threatened to withdraw, afterwards blowing over onto international level. The 2000 AFC Asian Cup saw Lebanon take part in its first Asian tournament, and it was Saudi Arabia who again reached the final, but this time, Japan triumphed over Saudi Arabia 1–0 in a final filled with a majority of Saudi supporters.
Iran extends an appearance streak running since 1968, while Singapore qualified on merit for the first time. Both the opening match and the Final will take place at King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh, establishing the capital as the venue for the tournament’s first and last fixtures. The allocation of fixtures across the three host cities provides clarity for operational planning and fan arrangements ahead of the competition. The Asian Football Confederation has confirmed the match schedule for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, setting the tournament dates from January 7th, 2027 to February 5th, 2027.
Watching the tournament from Bangladesh
A total of 16 teams will play in the tournament. Afc asian cup 2027 afc asian cup groups afc asian cup teams asian football asian group asian teams Football – Articles and Posts football news soccer soccer news Their meeting could have a major effect on the knockout bracket, especially if one of the favourites finishes second rather than first. The six third-placed teams are then compared, with the four best third-placed sides also qualifying. The teams hosting the qualification groups are also allocated to an additional “Hosts Pot”, to ensure they are drawn into different groups.
Eight stadiums across three host cities—Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar—will host matches, with each city anchored by a main stadium. The tournament will take place from January 7 to February 5, 2027, as announced by the AFC and the local organizing committee via the Saudi Press Agency. The use of upgraded and new stadiums reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to modern infrastructure, which also aligns with goals to boost tourism and international cooperation. This announcement builds on the Kingdom’s successful organization of major events, including the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, the Spanish and Italian Super Cups, and upcoming events like Formula 1 and the Dakar Rally.
ACC Leadership and the 2027 Tournament
Many fans can now obtain a tourist eVisa online via visa.visitsaudi.com, including those from the EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, and Russia. As of September 2026, no on-sale date or prices have been announced. Secure your seats early, as match-day slots are expected to sell out quickly. Riyadh and Jeddah serve as key travel hubs, offering direct flights from Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Only the group winners from each bracket qualified for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, joining the 18 teams that advanced directly from the second round. The 24 teams were split into six groups of four, playing home-and-away round-robin series. A single team earned the right to compete in the inter-confederation play-off tournament.
The tournament’s dynamic and energetic visual identity, crafted to inspire future generations of footballers and supporters, embodies the host nation’s unique spirit and the unifying essence of Asian football. Venue capacities and the complete stadium list are detailed on the stadiums page. The AFC’s schedule assigns each match to one of eight stadiums, with this page updating fixture venues once the official match-by-match list is confirmed to avoid premature venue announcements. Saudi Arabia is debuting as the Asian Cup host, having previously won the tournament three times (1984, 1988, 1996) and reached the finals in 2000 and 2007.
