OFFICIAL: Indonesia bids to host the 2031 Asian Cup

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recently announced the official list of countries that have submitted bids to host the 2031 Asian Cup final tournament. Notably, Indonesia has officially confirmed its participation in this competition.

According to Bola, the AFC released the announcement on the afternoon of February 4, 2026, marking the end of the initial application phase and the start of a detailed evaluation. Accordingly, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has completed the procedures to bid for hosting the 2031 Asian Cup.

However, Indonesia will face very strong competitors in this race. The two most formidable candidates are Australia and South Korea, countries that have modern sports infrastructure, extensive experience in hosting major events, and among the continent’s most advanced football programs. Both are considered “well-prepared” in terms of stadiums, facilities, operational management, and the capability to organize a large-scale Asian tournament.

In addition, India has also officially submitted its bid, demonstrating its ambition to elevate its football status to a new level. Kuwait is also in the race, showing that the 2031 Asian Cup is becoming an attractive “prize” many nations want to claim.

More notably, the Central Asian region is also participating in the bid through a joint hosting proposal. Three neighboring countries, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have jointly submitted an application to host the 2031 Asian Cup.

After announcing the list of candidates, the AFC will proceed to the next stage, requiring countries to complete full documentation, including hosting plans, stadium standards, infrastructure, transportation, security, and tournament operation strategies. These factors will be crucial in deciding which nation qualifies to be the 2031 Asian Cup host.

If victorious in this competition, Indonesia will make history again by hosting the Asian Cup nearly 25 years later. Previously, Indonesia co-hosted the 2007 Asian Cup alongside Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

However, the 2031 context will be entirely different from 2007. The Asian Cup has expanded to 24 teams, which significantly increases the demands on both the number and quality of stadiums. At the recent 2023 Asian Cup, Qatar used as many as nine stadiums to host all matches.