On February 24, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan officially submitted a joint bid to host the 2031 AFC Asian Football Cup. If selected, the 2031 tournament would be the first top-level football event hosted in Central Asia.
Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) President Rustam Emomali – the eldest son of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon – displayed his enthusiasm following the bid. “Our Central Asian region has never hosted the final part of the Asian Cup. I think the time has come. Our region is represented by very strong teams, and I am confident that together with the fraternal countries, we will host the final part of the Asian Cup at the highest level,” he stated.
Whilst a joint bid amongst Central Asia countries has stoked excitement for many in the region, they currently face strong competition to host the event. The UAE, Kuwait, Australia, Indonesia, and South Korea have all signaled their intention to bid to be the tournament’s next host.
Whilst none of the three Central Asian nations have hosted a top-level football tournament, Uzbekistan has experience with similar events after hosting the AFC U-20 and U-23 tournaments and the Futsal World Cup in 2024.
However, after attending the Futsal World Cup, Uzbek fan Farrukh Irnazarov is nervous that the authorities may not promote the event aggressively enough. “When Uzbekistan hosts an event like this, they’re very serious about it. However, unfortunately their biggest concern is security. [The Futsal World Cup] wasn’t heavily publicized, and many people weren’t aware we were hosting it,” he told The Times of Central Asia.
To be considered for the bid, all three countries will need to complete stadium renovations by the time the AFC committee makes its decision in 2026.
Uzbekistan is the most prepared of the three, with stadiums already at international tournament capacity in Tashkent, Namangan, Fergana, and Qarshi. A stadium with a minimum capacity of 50,000 seats is required for the final, and Bishkek has already volunteered.
Tashkent and Dushanbe are also revamping their respective stadiums, as the host nations must have two cities with 40,000-seat stadiums for the semi-finals in the tournament.
The Dolon Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek; image: TCA, Joe Luc Barnes
What is the AFC Asian Cup?
The AFC Asian Cup is an Asian (plus Australia) football competition that has been held every four years since 1956. The previous tournament was held in 2023 in Qatar, which saw the host nation become champions.
The tournament started with just four teams: South Korea, Israel, South Vietnam, and Hong Kong, playing a round-robin style tournament before expanding to 24 teams in 2019. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have already qualified for the next tournament in Saudi Arabia in 2027, whilst Tajikistan and Turkmenistan need to win their group in the final round of qualification to participate.
However, for the 2031 tournament, if Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan see their bid accepted, all three teams will qualify automatically.
Central Asia’s best tournament result came with a fourth-place finish by Uzbekistan in 2011. All three teams are hoping for similar success twenty years later.
Image: Sherzod Ibragimov
Impacts of Hosting the Tournament
If the Central Asia trio see their bid accepted, this could lead to significant long-term recognition and progress for Central Asian football. The investment in modernized stadiums could significantly benefit Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik football moving forward.
However, according to Aidana Otorbaeva, the vice-president of the Kyrgyz women’s football association and a former Kyrgyz national team player, these investments wouldn’t just support the top level of men’s football.
“Co-hosting the Asian Championship can bring even more investment and recognition to our favorite sport, football, but particularly women’s and youth football as well. For my academy, we struggle to provide enough coaches, stadiums or even fields to accommodate the demand for the sport. Investments have led to some small stadiums being built across the country, but it’s still not enough,” Otorbaeva told TCA.
Hosting any international tournament brings substantial media coverage and recognition, and therefore leads to sponsorships, partnerships, and foreign investment.
Sherzod Ibragimov, Uzbekistan’s U-17 National Team Head Coach, has another view about the sustainability of funding in Central Asian football. “The attention of foreign investors on [Central Asia], where football is developing, will increase, and in the future, there will be no need for government investment,” he told TCA
Central Asia could also see increased opportunities to host international friendly matches, especially with more modernized stadiums, featuring teams across Asia or even Europe. Tourism could also see a big boost. When the United Arab Emirates hosted the tournament in 2019, they saw an influx in tourism revenue through hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets.
Hosting the event could lead to similar long-term gains in tourist revenues.
Many are already thrilled about the possibility of this continental tournament coming to the region, including Tajik U-17 National Team Head Coach Marco Ragini. “When I saw the joint bid for 2031, I really thought this will be the right time to bring change to football in Central Asia. It will be a good time and opportunity to have a spotlight on Central Asian football,” Ragini told TCA.
