RIYADH — Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has announced its intention to host the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup 2026 finals. SAFF revealed that it would submit an integrated file to the AFC, fulfilling all requirements and conditions, which includes details of international and regional sporting events that Saudi Arabia had previously hosted over the past few years. Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the board of directors of SAFF, said that the federation's bid to host the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 finals comes as part of its efforts to make new leaps in the field of women's football in Saudi Arabia. He said that the plans for developing women's football in the Kingdom aim not only to hold tournaments but also providing a unique version of women's football. Al-Misehal confirmed that the federation's initiatives met with unlimited support from the Saudi leadership, especially from Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal. A specialized committee will be formed to work on the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 finals hosting file, Al-Misehal added. It is noteworthy that the Executive Committee of AFC has approved the qualification format for Asia's Road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 as well as the AFC Asian Cup 2027, as Asia will be represented directly with 8 direct spots and single Intercontinental Playoff slot allocated to the AFC by FIFA after expanding the 2026 World Cup to include 48 teams. The Executive Office of the AFC has also approved the calendar of new dates for the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup 2023-2024, after their decision to change the dates of the club tournaments to be held from autumn to spring, instead of the previous dates from spring to autumn.
