Saudi Arabia to host the 2027 Asian Cup

Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of football's 2027 Asian Cup, an expected prelude for a World Cup bid as the oil-rich kingdom spends big on sports in an attempt to improve its image.

The three-time winners' successful bid, a formality after their sole rivals India withdrew, was rubber-stamped at the Asian Football Confederation Congress in Bahrain, held just weeks after Persian Gulf neighbours Qatar hosted the first World Cup in the Middle East.

"We are excited to deliver the greatest tournament in the competition's history," the kingdom's sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said after the announcement.

"The kingdom is transforming before our eyes and we are filled with excitement for what it will look like in 2027."

Speaking at the AFC Congress, Prince Abdulaziz stressed that there was no World Cup bid on the table, but added: "Everything is possible."

"As you can see, hosting events in Saudi Arabia is big. And it's part of our 2030 vision," he said, referring to the Vision 2030 development project to modernise the oil-dependent economy.

He added: "Now we are focusing on 2027 because we still have to build infrastructure and so on to meet the requirements of the Asian Cup. And hopefully after that we'll see what comes up."

The Asian Cup adds to Saudi Arabia's growing portfolio of major events including the 2034 Asian Games and even the 2029 Asian Winter Games on artificial snow. Saudi Arabia is also bidding to host the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.