Emphasis on infrastructure and future development as India formally launch 2027 AFC Asian Cup bid!

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) formally launched its bid to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in New Delhi during an illustrious event attended by Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, President Praful Patel, former India player Gouramangi Singh and women's national team star Ashalata Devi. 

The Indian FA emphasised that it aims to take Indian football to new heights by working in partnership with the AFC to unlock new commercial opportunities, drive growth and build on an ever-growing love for the sport among the country’s youthful population.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran are among the four AFC Member Associations bidding to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027 alongside India. 

Patel mentioned that hosting the Asian Cup will be a unique opportunity to popularise the game in the country. 

"It has taken a lot of hard work to reach the level we are at today, where we can think of hosting international events year on year. The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India left an indelible mark on our country and we're now working towards ensuring FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup go down as two of the most successful women's international football tournaments. 

"We're continuously working on infrastructure upgradation and football development, and India would be honoured to be selected as the host for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. It is an unparalleled opportunity to take Asian football to new heights and create a Brighter Future Together, for India, for the AFC and for our whole continent," he stated. 

Whereas Member of Parliament, Rijiju assured that the government would provide every kind of support to AIFF so that India gets to host the tournament. 

"Hosting Asia's biggest football event, the AFC Asian Cup 2027 will be a huge milestone for Indian sports. Our nation is perfectly poised to host a mega sporting event of this magnitude. We have extensive experience over the last two decades of successfully planning, organising and staging some of the world’s biggest sporting events and are looking forward to hosting two more big events in 2022 - the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and AFC Women's Asian Cup. I assure you that all government support will be given in getting this tournament to India, and making it a memorable one for everyone involved."

The government has been investing heavily in football infrastructure over the years in order to facilitate the growth of the sport and within 2027 the progress will be manifold. It has already hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 - the most attended FIFA youth tournament in history with a record 1.34 million spectators -and is also due to host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2022.

The India 2027 campaign's logo, revealed at the launch, represents the ambition, commitment, focus and spirit of the bid, epitomised by the royal tiger. The tiger is also an emblem of India’s national team, the Blue Tigers. The slogan, Brighter Future Together, highlights the exceptional opportunity the bid presents for AFC and AIFF to work in partnership and take Indian and Asian football to the next level.