"Competing with Japan or Co-hosting?" 2035 Asian Cup Application for 'Each' in Korea and Japan

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korea Football Association's application to host the 2031-2035 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup has been officially announced. On the 4th (Korea Standard Time), AFC released the list of football associations from each country that applied for the bid for the two tournaments. Korea, Australia, and Kuwait have been nominated as hosts for both the 2031 and 2035 competitions.

According to AFC, Korea, Australia, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, and three Central Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan) that are seeking to co-host the 2031 tournament are the soccer associations. Initially, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Football Association also submitted an application to host the event, but it was withdrawn, leading to a total of six places competing, including co-hosting.

In 2035, the Football Association of Korea, Japan, Australia, and Kuwait submitted letters of intent to the AFC. The submission of the Korea Football Association's application for hosting the two 2031-2035 tournaments was already officially announced by the Korea Football Association last year, and with the official announcement of the AFC on the same day, it was confirmed that not only Korea but also Japan, Australia, and Kuwait Football Association issued a letter of intent to host the tournament.

Attention is drawn to the 2035 competition, in which South Korea and Japan submitted letters of intent to host the event side by side. While the possibility of co-hosting the tournament was raised earlier, not only the Korea Football Association but also the Japanese Football Association announced its intention to hold the tournament. In other words, options have increased for the Korea Football Association, which considered not only the possibility of holding the tournament alone but also the possibility of co-hosting it with Japan.

In the case of the 2031 tournament, unlike the three Central Asian countries that were nominated for "co-hosting," Korea and Japan have first submitted letters of intent to host the 2035 tournament. There is time instead. If only the co-hosting is included in the hosting plan, which must be submitted by the end of June, the event can be promoted by changing the direction to co-hosting Korea and Japan. In other words, South Korea and Japan could be in a competitive structure or a relationship that promotes co-hosting.

First of all, the Korea Football Association is considering holding both the 2031 and 2035 competitions alone. Instead, as the competition rate for both competitions is not easy, co-hosting with Japan may be a reasonable option if the possibility of hosting can be increased and cost savings can be expected from each other.

An official from the Korea Football Association said through Star News, "There are many areas that need to be discussed, such as working-level consultations between the two countries' football associations, as well as cooperation between the sports association and the government," adding, "I don't know what variables there will be in the consultation process, but we plan to open up the possibility of co-hosting and consult with the Japanese Football Association in the first half of the year." If it is agreed, the contents of the co-hosting will be included in the hosting plan, which must be submitted by the end of June, and if it is not agreed well, each will issue a letter of intent to hold it alone."

If South Korea and Japan co-host the Asian Cup, it will be the first time in 33 years since the 2002 FIFA Korea-Japan World Cup. It is the first time in 75 years that the Asian Cup has been held in Korea since the second tournament in 1960, and 43 years since the 1992 tournament in Japan. The Korea Football Association also sought to host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in 2022, but it was canceled due to Qatar. AFC will announce the venues for the 2031 and 2035 tournaments at the same time through a general meeting in the first half of next year.

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*This content was translated by AI.