The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, which kicks off on January 12 and runs until February 10 next year, will feature exciting competition among some of the best football teams in Asia. The matches of the tournament will be held in nine modern stadiums built to the highest global standards, including seven World Cup stadiums.
Lusail Stadium will host both the opening match and the final, with our national team, as the host nation, facing Lebanon at 7 PM Doha time. The remarkable stadium has a seating capacity of 88,000 and is famous for hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ final. The highly anticipated Asian Cup will also take place in six other World Cup stadiums: Al Bayt Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Education City Stadium, and Khalifa International Stadium. Additionally, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium and Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, which are the homes of QNB Stars League champions Al Sadd and Al Duhail respectively, will also be part of the tournament.
Twenty-four teams will participate in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, divided into six groups, with up to three matches scheduled daily during the group stage. Thanks to the short distances in Qatar, fans will have an exceptional opportunity to attend more than one match in a day, allowing international fans to stay in one location throughout the tournament.
The CEO of the local organizing committee for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, Mr. Jassim Abdulaziz Al Jassim, stated: "We are pleased to host the Asian Cup for the third time in Qatar. We are confident that AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 will be the best edition organized so far, and the match schedule will feature many thrilling competitions that will heighten the atmosphere of excitement among some of Asia's most famous teams." He added: "We eagerly await the return of global football vibes to the stadiums in Qatar, filled with passionate fans from all over the continent eager to attend matches of this prestigious sporting event."
Qatar previously hosted the Asian Cup, the most significant tournament in Asia, in 1988 and 2011. Our national team, the reigning champions, is determined to retain the title on home soil after successfully reaching the podium in 2019 with a series of impressive victories.
In the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, the Qatari team is in Group A alongside China, Tajikistan, and Lebanon. The remaining two matches for the Qatari team will take place at Al Bayt Stadium, with the match against Tajikistan on January 17 at 5:30 PM, and against China at Khalifa International Stadium on January 22 at 6 PM.
The top two teams from each group, along with the best four third-placed teams, will advance to the Round of 16, which begins on January 28. The final whistle will signal the end of the tournament on February 10 at Lusail Stadium at 6 PM.
