The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Wednesday confirmed that India is among the six member nations bidding to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2031, marking a renewed push by the country to stage Asia’s premier international football tournament.
The United Arab Emirates Football Association has withdrawn from the bidding process, leaving India to compete with Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, Kuwait, and a joint bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
“The bidding process for the AFC Asian Cup 2031 was completed last year and attracted strong interest from across the continent,” the AFC said in a statement. It added that, in line with the AFC president’s forward-looking approach, invitations to bid for the 2035 edition were circulated to member associations on August 27, 2025, with submissions closing on December 31, 2025.
India’s bid follows the All India Football Federation (AIFF) submitting an Expression of Interest to host the 2031 tournament last year. Soon after, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya extended the government’s full support, saying that hosting major sporting events would enhance India’s global stature as it pursues its ambition to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
India has never hosted the AFC Asian Cup. Previous bids for the 2023 and 2027 editions, submitted during the tenure of former AIFF president Praful Patel, were withdrawn. In December 2022, months after Kalyan Chaubey assumed office, India also pulled out of the 2027 race, stating that hosting big-ticket events was not among its strategic priorities at the time. That decision left Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate, which went on to secure hosting rights.
Meanwhile, the AFC said Japan, Australia, South Korea and Kuwait have formally expressed interest in hosting the Asian Cup in 2035. The continental body will next engage with all bidding member associations to coordinate the submission of detailed bid documents in line with established timelines, regulations and evaluation processes.
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