The 2023 Asian Cup soccer tournament will be held in Qatar, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced, after China pulled out earlier this year due to its “zero COVID” policy. The Asian Cup is held every four years. Qatar won the last edition of the tournament, which was hosted by the United Arab Emirates in 2019. This is the third time that the tournament will be hosted by Qatar, having been held in 1988 and 2011.
In June 2019, China was named to host the 2023 event, but pulled out this May, leaving the AFC scrambling to find a new host for its 24-team men’s flagship football tournament. South Korea and Indonesia were the other two countries in the running after China withdrew, but Qatar got the nod on Monday. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup starting on November 20. The World Cup, usually held in the Northern Hemisphere summer, was moved to November and December due to the extreme heat in Qatar during June and July.
The Gulf nation has built seven new stadiums and upgraded others around the capital Doha to host the 32-team World Cup. No dates have been announced for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup yet. AFC chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa praised Qatar’s “world-class infrastructure and unrivaled hosting capabilities” and said Qatar was ready to host the event despite the short preparation period. “Given the short lead-up time, we know the hard work starts immediately, but with their existing world-class infrastructure and unrivaled hosting options, we are confident Qatar will put on a worthy spectacle befitting the prestige and status of Asia’s crown jewel. ” he said in a statement.
