Featured image credit: Asian Football Confederation
Saudi Arabia will use eight stadiums across three cities during its staging of the 2027 Asian Cup, as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed the dates for the tournament.
A total of five venues will be used in Riyadh: King Fahd Sports City Stadium, King Saud University Stadium, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, Kingdom Arena and Al Shabab Stadium.
Two stadiums have been confirmed for Jeddah: King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium. The new 45,000-capacity Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar will complete the venue line-up.
With a capacity of 70,000, King Fahd Sports City Stadium will be the largest venue used during the tournament and is currently undergoing redevelopment work. King Abdullah Sports City Stadium has a capacity of 60,000.
Kingdom Arena will have a capacity of 26,000 for the tournament, while King Saud University Stadium and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium will both have a capacity of 25,000.
Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium seats 21,000 fans, while Al Shabab Stadium will be the smallest host venue with a capacity of 14,000.
The 24-team Asian Cup will take place from January 7 to February 5, 2027.
Saudi Arabia was awarded hosting rights for the Asian Cup back in 2023. Saudi Arabia and India had been the only two countries in contention to host the tournament, but the latter withdrew from the process.
It will mark the first time that Saudi Arabia has staged Asian football’s showpiece event. Qatar hosted the most recent edition last year in 2023, while the 2019 tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates.
Yasser Al Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, said: “Confirming the dates and selecting the stadiums for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 is a strategic milestone in our journey to host the tournament. This announcement goes beyond simply identifying locations and schedules; it reflects the ongoing high-level collaboration between us and the AFC as we work towards delivering an exceptional tournament that fulfils the aspirations of the entire Asian continent.”
King Fahd Sports City Stadium, King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, King Saud University Stadium and Aramco Stadium will also be used during Saudi Arabia’s staging of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Saudi Arabia is planning to build 11 new stadiums for the World Cup, with 15 venues set to be used in total.
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