[Official] AFC 'completely blanked' procedure for selecting venue for 2031/2035 Asian Cup

*This content was translated by AI.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) suddenly canceled the process of selecting the venue for the upcoming 2031 and 2035 Asian Cup. The Korea Football Association, which applied for the bid for both tournaments, plans to continue applying for the bid even if the year of the tournament changes.

The Korea Football Association said on the 20th, "In accordance with recent discussions with FIFA, the AFC will completely scrap the Asian Cup host selection process in consideration of plans to reorganize the schedule for international soccer games."

According to the AFC, FIFA has requested that the Asian Cup be adjusted and changed to an even year. AFC explained, "This change in situation has a great impact on the schedule and preparation of the tournament, so after careful consideration, we decided to suspend the venue selection process altogether."

AFC plans to start the process of selecting a new venue for the Asian Cup as soon as the specific tournament schedule and all matters are confirmed in the future. Given the Asian Cup, which will be held next year in Saudi Arabia, and the World Cup, which will be held in 2030, the Asian Cup is expected to be 2032.

Meanwhile, according to the AFC's decision, applications for hosting the Asian Cup in 2031 and 2035 will be automatically withdrawn. The Korea Football Association has also submitted applications for hosting both the 2031 and 2035 competitions.

An official from the Korea Football Association said, "An unexpected variable has occurred, but the association's willingness to host the Asian Cup remains unchanged," adding, "As we have more time to prepare for the tournament, we will continue to consult with related organizations to achieve the first Asian Cup in more than 70 years."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.