Going back to the first tournament in 1956, the Asia Cup is the competition to decide the continental champions of Asia.
Here’s all you need to know about the history of the tournament, the format and what to expect from the next competition to be held in 2024.
Starting with the first competition back in 1956, the Asian Cup is the second oldest continental football championship in the world behind the Copa America.
Held every four years, the competition sees the top Asian nations face off to determine the best side on the continent.
Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation back in 2007 and even hosted the finals back in 2015 where they won the competition on home soil.
The 2019 Asian Cup was expanded from 16 teams to 24 teams, with the qualifying process doubling as part of the qualification for the 2018 World Cup. Since then, 24 teams now play in the finals.
Each side plays three games in a group of four, with the winners and runners-up from each group qualifying for the knockout stage along with the four best third-placed nations.
In the knockout stage, the 16 remaining sides compete in a single-elimination tournament, beginning with the round of 16 and ending with the Asian Cup final.
Year | Host | Winner | Runner-up |
1956 | Hong Kong | South Korea | Israel |
1960 | South Korea | South Korea | Israel |
1964 | Israel | Israel | India |
1968 | Iran | Iran | Burma |
1972 | Thailand | Iran | South Korea |
1976 | Iran | Iran | Kuwait |
1980 | Kuwait | Kuwait | South Korea |
1984 | Singapore | Saudi Arabia | China |
1988 | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | South Korea |
1992 | Japan | Japan | Saudi Arabia |
1996 | UAE | Saudi Arabia | UAE |
2000 | Lebanon | Japan | Saudi Arabia |
2004 | China | Japan | China |
2007 | Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam | Iraq | Saudi Arabia |
2011 | Qatar | Japan | Australia |
2015 | Australia | Australia | South Korea |
2019 | UAE | Qatar | Japan |
The delayed 2023 Asian Cup is the next instalment of the competition which will take place in Qatar.
Originally to be hosted over June and July in China, the tournament was moved to Qatar to be played between 12th January 2024 to 10th February 2024.
Eight stadiums across the country in the cities of Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Doha and Al Wakrah will be the selected venues for the competition.
Australia, looking to win the Asian Cup for the second time since joining the competition, find themselves in Group B, alongside Uzbekistan, Syria and India.
The Socceroos kick-start their tournament against India on 13th January at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Australia then face Syria five days later at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium situated again in Al Rayyan, before their final Group B game against Uzbekistan on 23rd January at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha.