Saudi Professional League Executive President & CEO Garry Cook congratulates Ministry of Sport for Saudi Arabia’s successful 2027 AFC Asian Cup bid
The Saudi Professional League has welcomed the decision to name Saudi Arabia as hosts of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and voiced its congratulations to the country’s leaders, whose support made this momentous development happen.
The Kingdom was selected to arrange the continent’s most-prestigious football competition for the first time at Wednesday’s AFC Congress in Manama, Bahrain. This will see Asia’s finest 24 teams congregate there for the 19th edition.
It will also provide an invaluable opportunity for Saudi Professional League’s stars to compete against the best in the region, on home soil.
Garry Cook, Executive President and CEO, Saudi Professional League said: “Congratulations to the Ministry of Sport’s team for securing this well-deserved outcome for The Kingdom and Saudi football. Hosting the 2027 AFC Asian Cup is yet another significant milestone on our journey of transformation.
“SPL players will be excited to compete against the best in the region in front of our loyal fans, and for the league and our clubs, this provides new opportunities for growth.
“Working together, we are focused on developing a pipeline of top talent and bringing new stars into our domestic game. The league and clubs will benefit too from new investment in stadia, infrastructure and training facilities, and our followers around the world will get to engage with the excitement of our game and its stars as our broadcast and digital channels are refreshed.
“These are exciting times for Saudi Pro League, our fans and football in The Kingdom”.
The winning bid will see matches played in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Riyadh New Stadium, Dammam Stadium and the spectacular Qiddiya stadium will be three world-class additions to existing venues, several of whom will receive significant upgrades.
Saudi Arabia are three-time winners of the Asian Cup (1984, 1988, 1996), making them the joint-second most-successful nation. They will next look to add to this tally in Qatar for the rearranged 18th edition.
Herve Renard’s squad recently impressed at the FIFA 2022 World Cup, defeating eventual champions Argentina 2-1 in November’s opening Group C-contest.