Saudi Arabia stadia doll-up for 2027 AFC show

Article posted by Coliseum, January 8^th, 2025

Image: Saudi 2027 (LinkedIn)

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Local Organising Committee have announced that the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 will take place from January 7^th-February 5^th, 2027 – commencing on January 7^th two years from now. The venues in the Kingdom are being readied for the same.

‘ASIANCUP2027.SA’ stated that the 19th edition of Asia’s most prestigious football tournament will kick off on January 7^th, 2027 with the final match set for February 5^th, 2027 creating an exciting experience for the football fans across the continent.

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)-based the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer and futsal in most countries and territories in Asia. The AFC was formed in 1954. It has 47 members.

The 2027 AFC Asian Cup will be the 19th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international men’s football championship of Asia organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The tournament involves 24 national teams after the expansion in 2019. It will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7^th-February 5^th, 2027.

‘ASIANCUP2027.SA’ further stated that the tournament will feature eight stadiums across three Host Cities: Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. Each City will be anchored by a main stadium. In Riyadh, the spotlight will be on the King Fahd Sports City Stadium currently undergoing extensive upgrades to meet the highest standards. Jeddah will host matches at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, also known as ‘The Shining Jewel’ which recently hosted the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup Final™. Meanwhile, in Al Khobar, the newly constructed stadium will be the centerpiece of the Eastern Province.

The King Fahd Sports City, also nicknamed ‘The Tent’, or ‘Pearl of Stadiums’, is a multipurpose stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The stadium, which seated 58,398 spectators, is currently closed for reconstruction that will expand it to approximately 70,200 seats by 2026.

The 62,345-capacity King Abdullah Sports City, also nicknamed ‘The Shining Jewel’, or simply ‘The Jewel’, is a multiuse stadium and Sports City located 30 kilometers North of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

In addition to these main venues, Riyadh will also feature the 25,000-capacity King Saud University Stadium, the 15,000-capacity Al-Shabab Club Stadium and the 27,000-capacity Kingdom Arena along with the revamped Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium which will see its seating capacity expanded to 22,000 and all facilities upgraded to meet the AFC standards. Jeddah will also host matches at the 27,000-capacity Prince Abdullah AlFaisal Sports City Stadium which previously hosted several matches during the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup™.

The 2023 FIFA Club World Cup™ (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023™ presented by Visit Saudi for sponsorship reasons) was the 20th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup™, a FIFA-organized international club football tournament between the winners of the six continental confederations as well as the host nation’s league champions. The tournament was played in Saudi Arabia from December 12^th-22^nd, 2023. It was the last seven-team Club World Cup before the tournament is expanded to 32 teams in 2025.

Yasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, described the above announcement as a key milestone in the Kingdom’s journey toward hosting the tournament and expressed his gratitude to His Excellency Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, President of the AFC, and the entire AFC team for their ongoing support – “The Local Organising Committee is committed to delivering an exceptional edition of the Asian Cup that meets the high expectations of the football fans across the continent. The success of this endeavor is a result of the unwavering support from our leadership and the guidance of His Royal Highness the Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal which has positioned the Saudi Arabian Football Federation among the leading football associations in the region.”

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)-based the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is the football governing body of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1956, its responsibilities include administration of the club competitions and the national teams.

Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 builds on the Kingdom’s recent success in organizing major international sports events, a key part of the Saudi Vision 2030. The Kingdom has recently hosted high-profile football tournaments including the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup™ as well as the Spanish and Italian Super Cups. It is also set to host the final stages of this season’s AFC Champions League Elite (an annual continental club football competition contested by Asia’s top-division football clubs) alongside major events in other sports such as the Formula 1 (the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars) and the Dakar (Senegal) Rally.

The Saudi Vision 2030 (sometimes called Project 2030) is a Government program launched by Saudi Arabia which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially and culturally in line with the vision of the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. It was first announced on April 25^th, 2016 by the Saudi Government.

Eighteen nations have already qualified for the tournament including Saudi Arabia (the host nation), Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Iran, Qatar, UAE, Japan, Korea Republic, Oman, Palestine, Jordan, Bahrain, China PR, Indonesia, DPR Korea, Kuwait, and the Kyrgyz Republic. Six remaining spots will be determined through the final round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

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