Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of football’s 2027 Asian Cup on
Wednesday, an expected prelude for a World Cup bid as the oil-rich kingdom
spends big on sports in an attempt to improve its image. The three-time
winners’ successful bid, a formality after their sole rivals India
withdrew, was rubber-stamped at the Asian Football Confederation Congress
in Bahrain, held just weeks after Gulf neighbours Qatar hosted the first
World Cup in the Middle East.”We are excited to deliver the greatest tournament in the competition’s
history,” the kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki
Al-Faisal said after the announcement.
Wednesday, an expected prelude for a World Cup bid as the oil-rich kingdom
spends big on sports in an attempt to improve its image. The three-time
winners’ successful bid, a formality after their sole rivals India
withdrew, was rubber-stamped at the Asian Football Confederation Congress
in Bahrain, held just weeks after Gulf neighbours Qatar hosted the first
World Cup in the Middle East.”We are excited to deliver the greatest tournament in the competition’s
history,” the kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki
Al-Faisal said after the announcement.