AFC Asian Cup 2023: Dates and venues confirmed

India will be participating for a consecutive occasion.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ have confirmed that the upcoming edition of Asia’s flagship national team competition will be held from January 12 to February 10, 2024.

Asia’s top 24 nations will compete for the most prestigious prize in Asian football and, as part of efforts to engage with more fans than ever before, the 18th edition of the tournament will maximise the advantage of playing the opening game on a Friday and the final on a weekend.

At the same time, the AFC and LOC have also confirmed that the eagerly anticipated showpiece will be staged across eight stadiums, six of which were venues for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, namely: Al Janoub Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium as well as the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.

Read about the FIFA World Cup 2022 Stadiums in detail: Click Here

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said: “We know that the Local Organising Committee and the Qatar Football Association will stage a true spectacle never before experienced in Asian football history.

“Already, we have witnessed the QFA and the Qatari Authorities organise the best-ever FIFA World Cup in the history of the modern game, and we have every faith that they will showcase their unrivalled hosting capabilities, state-of-the-art infrastructure and warm hospitality well admired throughout the world for the benefit of our teams, players and passionate fans.

“We praise them for their dedication and commitment, and we are delighted to confirm the competition dates and venues, which represents an important milestone in our ambitions to provide the ultimate stage for our teams and players to shine.”

When is the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Draw?

The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ will be held across 30 days, two more than the 28-day 2019 edition in the United Arab Emirates as part of efforts to enhance the experience for Asia’s passionate fans as well as the stature and commercial value of the competition.

With the excitement expected to peak in the coming months, the official draw ceremony for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ has also been confirmed to be held at the world-renowned Katara Opera House in Doha on May 11, 2023, at 2pm (local time), with the official match schedule also expected to be unveiled shortly after the draw.