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Qatar will have little respite from hosting major soccer tournaments after next month’s World Cup.
The nation has been selected to host the 2023 Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation executive committee announced Sunday.
China was initially selected in 2019 but chose to cancel that commitment to contain the spread of COVID-19. Indonesia and South Korea had applied to step in for China.
- While the 24-team Asian Cup traditionally takes place in the summer months, it will likely follow the lead of this year’s World Cup and reschedule to early 2024 to avoid scorching temperatures.
- Qatar also hosted the Asian Cup in 1988 and 2011. It won the most recent tournament, hosted by the United Arab Emirates in 2019.
Qatar has built seven new stadiums and upgraded another in and around capital city Doha in preparation for the World Cup.
Those investments, plus roads, trains, hotels, and other infrastructure, cost around $220 billion in total. The country expects the World Cup to add $17 billion to its economy.
Two Finalists for 2027
The AFC also announced that Saudi Arabia and India are the finalists for the 2027 Asian Cup. The executive committee will select one of the two nations at a meeting in February.
Qatar had also sought to host in 2027 but withdrew after being awarded the 2023 iteration. Iran, Uzbekistan, and Australia were also interested.
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