Iran, India and Saudi Arabia have submitted applications for hosting the 2027 AFC Asian Cup
The Football Federation of Iran has submitted an application for hosting the 2027 AFC Asian Cup (AFC Asian Cup), - reports IRNA. The Iranian Football Federation was officially nominated today for the right of hosting the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The representative of the Federation Amir Mahdi Alavi informed on it in Twitter on Tuesday. Earlier Iran made an application for hosting the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, but then refused from this application. India also has presented tender documents for hosting the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. If India wins the tender, it will be the first case when the country will host the continental event. «We have already presented our interest in AFC (the Asian Football Confederation). It is what is required now», - Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary, All India Football Federation said. Recently AFC has prolonged the term of submit of applications for three months from March 31 to June 30 in view of COVID-19 pandemic. «"The AFC had hoped to announce the tournament hosts as soon as possible to give them more time to prepare for the quadrennial continental championship, which was expanded to 24 teams for the 2019 edition in the United Arab Emirates», - they told in AFC. It is expected that AFC declares a host country in the beginning of next year. Besides Iran and India, Saudi Arabia which won a title of the champion of the continent three times, but never hosted the tournament, announced the intention to challenge the right to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. Earlier India joined a race for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup along with Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea, but left it in the beginning of October, 2018. Later Thailand and South Korea also had left, having left China as a unique country where will take place the tournament of 2023. South Korea which holds the World Football Championship of 2023 among women, also, possibly, will join India in contest for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. After the successful World Football Championship among young men under 17 years in 2017 India had to host the World Championship among girls under 17 years in November, this year, but it has been transferred for later term because of COVID-19 pandemic. India also has acquired the right to receive visitors in the Football Championship of Asia among women in 2022.
