The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has approved shifting the Asian Cup to even-numbered years instead of odd ones, in a historic amendment that reorganizes the schedule of the continent’s flagship national team tournament.
The approval of this change came as part of amendments to the statutes, unanimously agreed upon by the Extraordinary General Assembly during its meeting in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, on Friday, following consultations with FIFA.
The implementation of the new system will begin with the 2032 edition, which replaces the previously expected 2031 tournament, making the interval between it and the upcoming edition five years, before the competition continues under its new cycle.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabia 2027 edition will remain on its announced dates from January 7 to February 5, serving as the final edition under the odd-year cycle, featuring 24 national teams competing across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.
The decision is linked to anticipated changes in the international match calendar. The AFC had paved the way for this move last March by suspending bidding procedures for hosting the 2031 and 2035 editions, pending the determination of the new competition schedule.
With this move, the tournament returns to even-numbered years, during which it had been held since its inception in 1956 until the China 2004 edition, before shifting to odd years starting in 2007. The last edition in Qatar took place in early 2024 while officially retaining the title “AFC Asian Cup 2023.”
The amendments also included aligning the electoral cycle with the competition schedule; elections for leadership positions will take place in 2027, with winners assuming their roles from January 1, 2028, for a term extending through 2032, while current officials remain in office until the end of 2027.
Qatar enters the Saudi edition as back-to-back champions, following its crown in 2019 and subsequent 3-1 victory over Jordan in the final of the last edition. Meanwhile, the Kingdom hosts the competition for the first time in its history, prior to the kickoff of the tournament’s new scheduling era.
