The Asian Cup soccer tournament is one of the biggest and most anticipated soccer tournaments in Asia. With the participation of top teams in the region, this tournament always attracts the attention of millions of football fans around the world. In this article, 2019 Southeast Asian Games will learn about the history, development process, format, schedule, rankings and results of the Asian Cup football tournament.
What is the Asian Cup football tournament?
The Asian Football Cup (English: AFC Asian Cup) is a football tournament between national men’s football teams organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with a cycle every four years. This is Asia’s largest football tournament and the second oldest continental football championship in the world after the South American Cup. The winning team becomes the Asian champion and represents Asia at the Confederations Cup.
The Asian Cup is held on a four-year cycle from the 1956 edition in Hong Kong until the 2004 tournament in China. However, because the Summer Olympics and European Football Championship were also scheduled in the same year as the Asian Cup, the AFC decided to move their championship to a less crowded cycle. After 2004, the next tournament was held in 2007, with four countries in Southeast Asia co-hosting: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. After that, the tournament continued to be held every four years.
History of formation and development of the Asian Cup football tournament
1950s-1960s: The birth of the tournament
- As mentioned above, the Asian Cup football tournament was first held in 1956 in Hong Kong. However, this tournament was not considered an official tournament of the AFC until the Asian Football Confederation was established in 1954. Before that, Asian teams often participated in tournaments such as the Olympics or World Cup in the name of France or England.
- In the 1950-1960s, this tournament was only held twice, the first time in 1956 and the second time in 1960. However, this tournament encountered many difficulties because of disagreements between countries. Asia in organizing and managing the tournament.
1970s-1980s: The development of the tournament
- During the 1970s and 1980s, the AFC Asian Cup football tournament became an important tournament and was held regularly every two years. During this period, many changes were implemented to improve the tournament, including increasing the number of participating teams from 4 to 8 and then 12 teams.
- In 1984, this tournament was renamed the Asian Football Championship and was held in Singapore. This is also the first time this tournament is held in the form of qualifying rounds and finals. However, this tournament is still not considered a major tournament and attracts the attention of many fans.
1990-2000 decade: The tournament’s sublimation
- During the 1990s and 2000s, the Asian Cup football tournament became one of the most important tournaments in Asia. In 1992, this tournament was renamed AFC Asian Cup and was held in Japan. Since then, this tournament has attracted the attention of many fans and become one of the most anticipated tournaments in Asia.
- During this period, many changes were implemented to improve the tournament, including increasing the number of participating teams from 12 to 16 and then 24 teams. In addition, there are also changes in the competition format and regulations related to the teams participating in the tournament.
Decade 2010-2020: The tournament’s remarkable development
- During the years 2010 and 2020, the AFC Asian Cup football tournament became one of the biggest and most anticipated tournaments in Asia. In 2019, this tournament was held for the 17th time in the UAE and attracted the participation of 24 teams.
- During this period, this tournament has had many improvements in the competition format and regulations related to participating teams. In addition, this tournament has also attracted the attention of top teams in the region and become one of the most important tournaments in Asia.
Asian Cup football tournament format
The current Asian Cup football tournament is organized according to the qualifying round and final round format. Before entering the final round, teams will have to participate in qualifying rounds to win tickets to the tournament. The qualifying round is divided into two regions: East Asia region and West Asia region.
The East Asia region includes teams from Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and North Korea. Meanwhile, the West Asia region includes teams from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries.
After completing the qualifying round, 24 teams will be divided into 6 groups in the final round. Teams will compete in a round-robin format, in which each team will face each other once. Scores will be calculated based on the results of the matches, in which each win will be counted as 3 points, draw as 1 point and loss as 0 points.
After the end of the final round, the teams with the highest scores will be selected to enter the quarter-finals, then the semi-finals and finally the final to win the tournament.
Asian Cup soccer tournament schedule
The Asian Cup football tournament schedule usually takes place at the beginning of the new year and lasts about 3 weeks. Qualifying rounds usually take place in March and April, and final rounds usually take place in January and February of the following year.
In 2023, the A si an Cup football tournament will be held in China from January 8 to 28. Matches will be played in 10 different stadiums across China. This will be the second time China hosts this tournament, after successfully hosting the tournament in 2004.
In 2024, the Asian Cup football tournament will be held in Japan from January 6 to 28. This will be the third time Japan has hosted this tournament, after successfully hosting the 1992 tournament and 2007.
Asian Cup soccer tournament rankings
The Asian Cup soccer tournament rankings are calculated based on the results of the matches in the final round. However, only teams participating in the final round are included in this ranking.
Currently, the Japanese team is leading the Asian Cup football rankings with 4 championships and 3 second places. Next is Iran with 3 championships and 2 second places, followed by Saudi Arabia with 3 championships and 1 second place.
Asian Cup soccer tournament 2024 and 2023
As mentioned above, the Asian Cup football tournament will be held in China in 2023 and in Japan in 2024. These will be the most anticipated tournaments in the near future, when teams Asia’s leading players will compete to win this major tournament.
By holding the tournament in two countries with great football history and traditions, we can expect exciting and dramatic matches at the 2023 and 2024 Asian Cup football tournaments.
Results of the Asian Cup Football Tournament
The results of the Asian Cup soccer tournament are always anticipated and followed closely by millions of soccer fans around the world. Throughout the tournament’s history, a total of 16 teams have won the Asian Cup, including teams from Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.
In 2019, this tournament was held in the UAE and the Qatar team won after defeating the Japanese team in the final. This is the first time the Qatar team has won this tournament, and also the first time a team from the West Asian region has won this tournament.
Conclude
In this article, we have learned about the history and development of the Asian Cup football tournament, the format, schedule, rankings and results of this tournament. The Asian Cup football tournament is not only an important and anticipated tournament in Asia, but also an important sporting event worldwide.
With changes and improvements continuously being applied, we can expect future AFC Asian Cup tournaments to grow and attract the attention of a large number of football fans.
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