AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023: Official dates and stadiums unveiled

Qatar will host the AFC 2023 Asian Cup for the third time after staging it in 1988 and 2011.

Dates and stadiums for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 have officially been selected, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) confirmed on Wednesday.

The competition will be held in Qatar between 12 January and 10 February 2024, bringing together Asia’s top 24 nations in eight of illustrious venues, six of which hosted the Qatar World Cup 2022.

Al Janoub Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, and Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium are all set to kick off the highly-anticipated tournament.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa voiced that Qatar’s hosting of the AFC will be unlike any previous edition.

“We know that the Local Organising Committee and the Qatar Football Association will stage a true spectacle never before experienced in Asian football history,” Al Khalifa said.

“Already, we have witnessed the QFA and the Qatari Authorities organise the best-ever FIFA World Cup in the history of the modern game, and we have every faith that they will showcase their unrivalled hosting capabilities, state-of-the-art infrastructure and warm hospitality well admired throughout the world for the benefit of our teams, players and passionate fans,” the AFC president added.

Held across 30 days, longer than the previous edition in the United Arab Emirates, the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 draw ceremony will be revealed at the Katara Opera House on 11 May.

Last October, Qatar was officially handed the hosting rights after China’s zero-Covid-19 policy drove the AFC to find another host.

Next on the list were South Korea and Indonesia, yet Qatar’s record of hosting history and capabilities was a no-brainer for the AFC committee.