South Korea Enters Race for 2031 Asian Cup as Competition Intensifies

The competition to secure hosting rights for the 2031 Asian Cup intensified on Friday, as South Korea’s football association announced it had submitted a formal “letter of intent” to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Other nations, including Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Kuwait, have previously indicated their interest in hosting Asia’s version of the Euros in 2031. Additionally, a collaborative bid involving Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan was revealed earlier this week.

“The Korea Football Association confirmed on the 28th that it submitted an ‘Expression of Interest to Host’ to the Asian Football Confederation on the 27th for the 2031 AFC Asian Cup,” the KFA stated in their announcement.

South Korea last served as the host nation for the Asian Cup in 1960, when it was a four-team tournament alongside Israel, South Vietnam, and Taiwan (known then as the Republic of China).

As a formidable player in regional football with a robust infrastructure primarily developed for the co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup alongside Japan, South Korea will be a strong contender for the 2031 event.

The UAE is perceived as the frontrunner among early bidders, raising the possibility that four consecutive editions of the tournament could occur in the Gulf region.

The UAE hosted the tournament in 2019, while Qatar is set to host in 2024 after China withdrew due to the COVID pandemic. Saudi Arabia was awarded the rights to host the following edition in 2027.

The next phase in the race to host the 2031 tournament will involve the submission of detailed bid documents, followed by evaluation visits from the AFC, with host nations to be announced in 2026.