AFC Asian Cup schedule has to change to even years again

Jersey Story· 03/11/2026

Image source: Nguyễn Minh Dân

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially adjusted the dates for the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

The 2027 AFC Asian Cup will officially take place from December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028, instead of January 7, 2027 to February 5, 2027 as originally planned.

Notably, this is the second consecutive time that the AFC Asian Cup has had to change its schedule due to unforeseen reasons:

• Asian Cup 2023: China was stripped of its hosting rights due to the impact of COVID-19, and the tournament moved to Qatar. However, to avoid the heat of the Gulf region, the tournament was moved entirely to early 2024.

Vietnam national team at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup

• Asian Cup 2027: Due to security instability in the Middle East region and specifically with hosts Saudi Arabia, the tournament has been moved from early 2027 to late in the year, spilling over into 2028.

Official logo of 2027 AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia

Nevertheless, from subsequent editions (starting from 2032), the AFC will officially reschedule so that the Asian Cup takes place stably on an even-year cycle. In the meantime, the Vietnam national team will participate in the Asian continental tournament for the second consecutive time "out of sync" with the year printed on their sleeve patch.