AFC Asian Cup

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The AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament contested by member associations of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Founded in 1956, it is the second oldest international tournament after the Copa America. Hong Kong hosted the first-ever edition which was won by South Korea after defeating Isreal in the final.

Since its inception, the AFC Asian Cup has been held every four years. The 2007 edition which followed the 2004 tournament hosted in China was the only anomaly, as there was a need to move the finals to a cycle that did not have major competitions such as the Summer Olympic Games and the European Football Championship scheduled on its calendar.

In the 2019 edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the tournament was expanded to accommodate 24 participants including the host nation, making the 16-team format that has been operational since 2004 obsolete. It was also the first finals in the history of the competition to use the video assistant referee (VAR) system while allowing for a fourth substitution during extra time.

The competition's format was also altered. The tournament is now played in two stages: the group stage and the knockout stage. Six groups of four are generated from the 24 participating nations and each team plays three group games. A win attracts a point while a point is awarded for a draw. The eventual winners, first runners-up and four best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage.

A total of sixteen teams then contest in a single-elimination tournament, from the Round of 16, through to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. Losers in the semi-finals also compete in a third-place play-off game.

Japan, Saudi Arabia and Iran are the giants of the AFC Asian Cup.