Yesterday, the AFC General Assembly officially announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the first time in its history, is applying to host the 2027 Asian Cup, which has recently become one of the main venues for the largest sporting events in the world. hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain and attended by Heads of State The Continental Federations entrusted the organization of the final of the nineteenth edition of the Asian Championship to the Kingdom, which, through the Saudi Football Federation, applied to host it in February 2020 under the slogan embodying a new vision for the future of Asian football: “Together for future of Asia.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee of Saudi Arabia, thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Highness the Crown Prince – may God protect them – for the boundless support the application has received Kingdoms to host the Asian Cup 2027. Congratulations to the leadership and the country on this occasion.
He said: “The unrestricted support of wise leadership has been our motive for two years of continuous efforts to win the honor of hosting a continental sporting event through which we look forward to hosting an exceptional global version; It will enrich the passion of football fans and provide them with an enjoyable experience that showcases the Kingdom’s true heritage of civilization and culture and its development in various fields.”
In turn, Saudi Arabia Football Association President Yasser Al-Mishal praised the great support for the 2027 Asian Cup bid, indicating that the Kingdom is looking forward to hosting such an outstanding tournament as the stadiums in Riyadh, Jeddah. and Dammam host the final of the biggest continental football event in eight major stadiums, including three stadiums: the new Riyadh Stadium, Qiddiya Stadium, Dammam Stadium and four stadiums that will be reconstructed and developed differently (King Fahd Stadium , Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Prince Mohammad bin Fahd Stadium and Prince Saud bin Jalawi City), as well as three stadiums that will be equipped with some additional equipment: King Abdullah Sports City, Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, King Saud University Stadium “.
Al-Mishal pointed out that the Kingdom’s combined file has succeeded in winning the trust of the Asian federations, including the most important advantages and factors that determine the success of the championship, and giving it a unique character, since the championship matches are played in eight stadiums. indicating that the Kingdom is looking forward to a quantum leap in the championship that was launched in 1956 and the holding of an Exceptional championship at all levels and standards.
He said: “Holding the Asian Cup is an opportunity to highlight the football prowess and passion of the Saudis for football, as well as highlight the culture, arts and tourism, natural and cultural treasures enjoyed by all regions of the Kingdom.”
The General Assembly witnessed the presentation of the file presented by the Kingdom for the Asian Championships in 2027, which was initiated by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, welcoming the Asians and highlighting their full readiness to present an outstanding version of the Asian Championships, after which the contents of the file were reviewed by the CEO of the file Saudi Arabia 2027 by Mr. Ibrahim Al-Qasim and former Saudi national team player Muhammad Abdul-Jawad, and the proposal of Saudi Arabia was highly appreciated by the member federations and the Executive Office of the Asian Football Confederation, as the file of Saudi Arabia 2027, represents an exceptional participation experience in the Asian Cup and presents a version that is the best in the history of the tournament, bringing the slogan of the file “Together for the future of Asia” into the ground Indeed, with several initiatives and experiences to be implemented before, during and after the tournament, it will contribute to the growth and the progress of football in Asia.
Election of the Kingdom as an Asian Representative in FIFA
The 33rd General Assembly of the Asian Football Confederation, which took place yesterday, Wednesday, elected Saudi Arabia among the representatives of the Asian Confederation to the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) for a second term by acclamation until 2027. in the FIFA Council, 5 heads of local federations of the yellow continent won, Yasser Al-Mishal, president of the Saudi Football Association, and he received 35 votes, Japanese Kozo Tashmiya (39 votes), Malaysian Haji Muhammad Amin (30 votes), Filipino Mariano Arienta (34 votes) ), Qatari Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (40 votes).
Palestinian Susan Al-Shalabi was elected to the Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee (by acclamation) from the Western Region, Mahfouz Akhtar from Bangladesh was elected from the South Asia Region, and Kanya Kimani from Laos from the ASEAN Region.