Asian Cup to switch to even-numbered years from 2032 under AFC reforms

The 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia will be the final edition staged in an odd-numbered year after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) approved changes to its statutes.

The reforms, agreed unanimously at an extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Friday, will move the tournament to even-numbered years from 2032. The venue for the 2032 edition has not yet been decided.

The decision is linked to expected changes to the international football calendar by FIFA. It follows discussions between the AFC and the world governing body aimed at keeping the confederation’s electoral cycle aligned with the scheduling of its major competitions.

The Asian Cup was last played in an even-numbered year in 2004.

Under the revised statutes, the new arrangements are intended to ensure the AFC’s elections continue to fit with the timing of the continental tournament. The confederation said this would allow its executive office to maintain oversight of the competition during its decisive stages, while providing greater stability for administrative decisions and operational planning.

The AFC said the amendments also include transitional provisions to manage the next phase of governance within the organisation.

AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa described the approval as an important step towards strengthening the confederation’s governance framework.

Speaking to the congress, Sheikh Salman said the changes would support transparency and continuity, while ensuring the statutes remained clear and appropriate to their purpose.

He added that the next stage required a focus on “the collective interests of Asian football” and continued efforts to reinforce the values of transparency, unity and inclusiveness.

AFC elections in 2027

The main leadership elections will take place in 2027 under the relevant provisions of the AFC statutes. However, those elected will not begin their terms immediately.

Their mandates will start on 1 January 2028 and run until 2032.

The current officials, who were elected for the 2023-2027 period, will remain in office until the end of 2027 in accordance with the terms for which they were elected.

The AFC said further details about the next elections would be announced in due course.

The changes establish a new timetable linking the confederation’s election cycle with the Asian Cup, the continent’s principal national-team competition. Saudi Arabia’s 2027 tournament will therefore be the last held under the current odd-year schedule before the competition returns to an even-year cycle five years later.