The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the suspension of the application process for hosting the Asian Cups in 2031 and 2035. This decision was made following FIFA's recommendations regarding changes to the international tournament calendar.
Initially, the joint application of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan was aiming for the 2031 Asian Cup, while Japan expressed interest in hosting the 2035 tournament.
The AFC's decision was influenced by FIFA's proposal to move all continental championships to even years. As a result, the Asian Cup is now scheduled for 2032 and 2036 instead of the originally planned 2031 and 2035.
Alisher Nikimbaev, a FIFA and AFC expert, stated that a new application process will be initiated after the updated calendar is approved, which may lead to changes in the list of candidate countries.
Thus, federations interested in hosting the Asian Cup will have to wait for a new selection phase, while the 2027 Asian Cup will proceed according to the previously approved schedule.
