Riyadh’s King Fahd Sports City Stadium will host both the opening match and the final of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, tournament organizers announced on Monday, highlighting the event as a key step ahead of Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The Asian Football Confederation said the 70,000-capacity venue, widely known as “The Tent” for its roof design inspired by traditional Bedouin architecture, will serve as the centerpiece of the tournament, which will run from January 7 to February 5, 2027, in Saudi Arabia.
In addition to staging the opening fixture featuring the host nation and three-time champions Saudi Arabia, the stadium will host four group-stage matches, a round-of-16 game, and a quarter-final before the final in early February.
Matches will also be played in the cities of Jeddah and Al Khobar. The full match schedule and team pairings will be confirmed during the official draw to be held in Riyadh on April 11, according to the Asian Football Confederation.
The 2027 edition is viewed as an important test event for Saudi Arabia as it prepares to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Qatar, host of the 2022 World Cup, won the most recent Asian Cup after the tournament was moved from China because of pandemic-related restrictions.
