Withdrawal from Asia Cup hosting in 2023

China will not host the Asian Football Championships next year. Citing the Covid pandemic, the country has canceled the staging of the Asia Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced Saturday. „Following extensive discussions with the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the AFC has been officially informed by the CFA that it would not be able to host the AFC Asian Cup,“ a statement read. The 24-team event was scheduled to be held in ten Chinese cities from June 16 to July 16, 2023. The AFC is now looking for a new host country.