About AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup, also known as the AFC Asian Cup, is an intercontinental national team championship organized by the Confederation of Asian Football, held every four years. In 1956, the first Asian Cup was held in Hong Kong, with a total of four teams participating, and the South Korean national men's football team ultimately won the championship. From 1968 to 1988, countries from West Asia and the Middle East won the Asian Cup championship. In 1992, the Japanese team, as the host country, won the Asian Cup championship trophy for the first time in their home country. In the 1996 UAE Asian Cup, the number of teams participating in the final round increased from 8 to 12.
In the 2004 Asian Cup, the number of teams in the final round expanded to 16, and the host Chinese team lost to the Japanese team in the final and won the runner up. Considering the scheduling conflicts with major events such as the Olympics and the European Championship, the Asian Cup, which was originally scheduled to be held in 2008, was moved up to 2007. The 2007 Asian Cup was held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It was the first time that the Asian Cup was jointly hosted by more than one country (region), and it was also the first Asian Cup that Australia participated in after joining the AFC. In the end, the Iraq team emerged as a dark horse and won the championship of the Asian Cup. In the 2015 Asian Cup, the host team Australia defeated South Korea in the final and won their first ever Asian Cup championship. Starting from the 2019 Asian Cup, the number of teams in the final round has expanded to 24. The 2023 Asian Cup was originally scheduled to be held in China, but due to the impact of the pandemic, it was ultimately postponed to January 2024 in Qatar. On February 10, 2024, in the Asian Cup final, Qatar defeated Jordan and successfully defended their title.
Cup Winners
Since the Asian Cup was held, as of 2024, Japan has won the championship four times, ranking first in Asia, while Saudi Arabia and Iran are tied for second place with three championships. "
