The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has formally submitted its bid to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2031, entering a competitive field vying to stage Asia’s premier men’s national team tournament.
AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa confirmed this week at an AFC Executive Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur that a record seven bids were received before the March 31, 2025 deadline. The invitation to bid was initially sent to Member Associations on November 27, 2024.
India faces competition from Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and a joint bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Shaikh Salman highlighted the unprecedented level of interest as a testament to the tournament’s growing stature across the continent, particularly following the successful and record-breaking 2023 edition hosted by Qatar, which generated 7.9 billion digital impressions and reached viewers in 160 territories globally.
The AFC will now work with the bidding nations to review the necessary documentation, with a workshop planned for later this month.4 The final decision on the host nation for the 2031 tournament will be made at the AFC Congress in 2026.
If successful, this would mark the first time India has hosted the AFC Asian Cup. Securing the hosting rights would represent a major milestone for Indian football development and further establish the nation’s growing ambitions as a key sporting hub in Asia.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.