Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan Submit Joint Bid to Host the 2031 AFC Asian Cup

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan have submitted a joint bid to host the 2031 AFC Asian Cup. The announcement was made by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which has confirmed the completion of the bidding process for the hosting rights of the continental championships in 2031 and 2035.

According to the AFC, the Central Asian countries intend to stage the tournament through a cooperative format, presenting a unified candidacy for the 2031 Asian Cup. Alongside them, Australia, India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, and Kuwait have also expressed interest in hosting the competition by submitting individual bids.

The AFC also clarified that the United Arab Emirates Football Association has withdrawn from the bidding process for the 2031 Asian Cup.

At the same time, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Kuwait have officially confirmed their interest in hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2035.

The confederation noted that engagement with the national football associations bidding to host the tournaments will begin shortly, with the aim of coordinating the preparation and submission of the required bid documentation in strict compliance with established deadlines, regulations, and evaluation procedures.

Another key feature of the current selection process will be the decision, taken at the initiative of AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, to determine the host countries for both the 2031 and 2035 Asian Cups simultaneously. The AFC emphasized that this approach is expected to intensify competition among candidates, as national associations will need to undertake strategic planning across two major tournament cycles at once.