After a whirlwind 2022, the upcoming years looks set to be just as big - particularly for Asian football.
Not only is the Women's World Cup being hosted in Australia and New Zealand in a few months' time, but the next men's AFC Asian Cup is scheduled to take place early in 2024.
The 2019 tournament saw Qatar triumph for the first time with defending champions, Australia, knocked out in the quarter-finals.
With a number of Asian teams impressing at the 2022 World Cup, including the Socceroos, the next AFC Asian Cup looks poised to garner more attention than ever before.
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When is the next AFC Asian Cup?
With the exception of 2007 - which saw the tournament shifted to odd years - the AFC Asian Cup has historically been held every four years.
The next AFC Asian Cup was originally planned to be played in June and July of 2023 but that timing has been thrown out of the window due to the naming of a new host.
The Qatar Football Association and AFC have now confirmed that the tournament will now start on January 12, 2024 and run until February 10, 2024.
Who will host the next AFC Asian Cup?
The 2023 AFC Asian Cup hosting rights were originally awarded to China in 2019.
COVID-19 and the country's previously strict handling of the pandemic, however, meant they relinquished those rights in 2022.
Qatar were then ultimately named the new hosts in October 2022, beating out competition from Indonesia and South Korea.
The Middle East nation held the 2022 FIFA World Cup which was pushed back to November and December due to the extreme heat in Qatar.
Teams qualified for the next AFC Asian Cup
A total of 24 nations have qualified for the next AFC Asian Cup with qualifying beginning back in June 2019 and completed three years later.
Tajikistan is the only side set to make its debut at the tournament, while Indonesia and Malaysia are returning having not qualified since 2007.
Hong Kong are also back after a long absence with their most recent appearance dating back to 1968.
| Country | Apps | Titles (Last) |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 11 | 1 (2019) |
| Japan | 10 | 4 (2011) |
| Syria | 10 | — |
| South Korea | 15 | 2 (1960) |
| Australia | 5 | 1 (2015) |
| Iran | 15 | 3 (1976) |
| Saudi Arabia | 11 | 3 (1996) |
| United Arab Emirates | 11 | — |
| China | 13 | — |
| Iraq | 10 | 1 (2007) |
| Oman | 5 | — |
| Vietnam | 5 | — |
| Lebanon | 3 | — |
| Palestine | 3 | — |
| Uzbekistan | 8 | — |
| Thailand | 8 | — |
| India | 5 | — |
| Hong Kong | 4 | — |
| Tajikistan | 0 | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2 | — |
| Bahrain | 7 | — |
| Malaysia | 4 | — |
| Jordan | 5 | — |
| Indonesia | 5 | — |
AFC Asian Cup 2023 groups
Group A
| Qatar | China |
| Tajikistan | Lebanon |
Group B
| Australia | Uzbekistan |
| Syria | India |
Group C
| Iran | UAE |
| Hong Kong | Palestine |
Group D
| Japan | Indonesia |
| Iraq | Vietnam |
Group E
| Korea Republic | Malaysia |
| Jordan | Bahrain |
Group F
| Saudi Arabia | Thailand |
| Kyrgyzstan | Oman |
Past AFC Asian Cup winners
Despite losing the 2019 final to Qatar, Japan remains the most successful team in the competition's history having lifted the trophy four times.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are next best having won the tournament three times each.
Israel notably won the 1964 AFC Asian Cup prior to their expulsion from the confederation in 1974 and are now part of UEFA.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | South Korea | Israel |
| 1960 | South Korea | Israel |
| 1964 | Israel | India |
| 1968 | Iran | Burma |
| 1972 | Iran | South Korea |
| 1976 | Iran | Kuwait |
| 1980 | Kuwait | South Korea |
| 1984 | Saudi Arabia | China |
| 1988 | Saudi Arabia | South Korea |
| 1992 | Japan | Saudi Arabia |
| 1996 | Saudi Arabia | United Arab Emirates |
| 2000 | Japan | Saudi Arabia |
| 2004 | Japan | China |
| 2007 | Iraq | Saudi Arabia |
| 2011 | Japan | Australia |
| 2015 | Australia | South Korea |
| 2019 | Qatar | Japan |