Saudi Arabia wins bid to host 2027 Asian Cup
SAUDI Arabia has won a bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Wednesday.
The announcement was made at the AFC Congress in the Bahraini capital of Manama.
Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder after India withdrew in December.
“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.”
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in lucrative sports contracts, including the purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo, Formula One in Jeddah, and the lucrative LIV Golf Tour.
Saudi Arabia will in the coming years host the women’s Asian Cup, the Olympic-sized Asian Games, and even the Asian Winter Games on artificial snow. Saudi Arabia watched as its neighbor Qatar held the World Cup in November and December.
Along with a number of other important events, the desert kingdom is also interested in hosting the World Cup, the Summer Olympics, and possibly even the Winter Olympics.
All of this is a part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s great plans, the de facto ruler, to modernize the Saudi economy and end its dependency on oil before the world switches to alternative fuels.
“I’m sure Saudi Arabia will host a fantastic Asian Cup,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the Manama congress.
