Ahead of the 35th AFC Congress, the AFC Executive Committee held its 6th meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During the meeting, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially announced that it had received bids from seven member associations to host the 2031 edition of the AFC Asian Cup. AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa described this as a historic milestone, marking the highest number of bids ever received in the tournament’s history.

In an official statement, the AFC President commended the dedication and initiative of all member associations across the continent.

According to the announcement, the AFC accepted hosting bids for the continent’s premier national team competition from the following associations by the deadline of March 31, 2025:

• Australia

• India

• Indonesia

• Republic of Korea

• Kuwait

• United Arab Emirates

• Joint bid from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic

“The record number of bids received is yet another testament to the prestige of the tournament. On behalf of the AFC Executive Committee, I extend my sincere gratitude to all our member associations,” said the AFC President.

The AFC will now commence the next phase of the process, working with the bidding member associations to prepare and submit the required documents within the set timelines and criteria.

During the AFC Executive Committee meeting, decisions from all standing committees, including the AFC Asian Cup Organising Committee, the AFC Finance Committee, the AFC Competitions Committee, and the AFC Professional Football Committee, were also approved.