New Delhi: The Asian Football Confederation has officially confirmed that India is among the countries bidding to host the prestigious AFC Asian Cup in 2031. The continental governing body listed India along with Australia, Indonesia, Korea and Kuwait as individual bidders, while Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have submitted a joint proposal. The United Arab Emirates, which had earlier shown interest, has withdrawn from the process.
In a statement, the AFC said the bidding procedure for the 2031 edition was completed last year and attracted strong participation from across Asia. The confederation also revealed that invitations for the 2035 edition were circulated in August 2025, with the submission window closing at the end of December. The next stage will involve coordination with member associations for detailed documentation and evaluation.
The All India Football Federation had submitted its Expression of Interest to host the tournament last year, signalling a renewed push to bring Asia’s biggest football competition to the country for the first time. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had soon after announced full government backing, stating that staging major international events would strengthen India’s global sporting profile and support its broader ambition of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.
India has never hosted the Asian Cup despite earlier attempts. Bids were placed for the 2023 and 2027 editions during the tenure of former federation president Praful Patel, but both were eventually withdrawn. The 2027 bid was formally pulled out in 2022 after the current administration took charge, citing that hosting large scale tournaments was not a strategic priority at that time. Saudi Arabia was later left as the sole candidate for 2027.
The latest move indicates a shift in approach by Indian football authorities, who now view the event as an opportunity to accelerate infrastructure development and raise the standard of the domestic game. Hosting the Asian Cup would require modern stadiums, training facilities and organisational capacity across multiple cities, areas in which India has been investing in recent years.
The AFC will now engage with all bidding nations to assess technical, financial and logistical aspects before selecting the host. With strong competition from established football countries, India faces a challenging race, but officials remain optimistic that the country’s growing market and fan base can make a compelling case for 2031.
