Why is it called Asian Cup 2023? Explaining year change for 2024 tournament

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The 18^th edition of the AFC Asian Cup is about to get underway with Qatar seeking to defend their title on home soil, while the likes of Australia and Japan will all be vying to spoil the party.

Qatar, which hosted the World Cup just over a year ago, will once again welcome some of the world’s biggest soccer stars, such as South Korea’s Son Heung-min, for the month-long tournament in the 2023 edition of the Asian Cup.

Why is it called Asian Cup 2023? Explaining year change for 2024 tournament

This year’s Asian Cup has undergone a number of changes until it reached its current iteration.

China was originally announced to host the tournament from June 16^th to July 16^th last year, although the country relinquished its right to do so due to the lasting impacts from the Covid pandemic.

During a second round of bidding, Qatar fought off competition from Australia, Indonesia and South Korea for the rights to host the Asian Cup.

However, due to high summer temperatures in the country and their participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the tournament was postponed until January 2024.

Meanwhile, the original name - AFC Asian Cup 2023 - was maintained for sponsorship reasons.

This practice has been mirrored in the past, with last year’s 2022 FIFA World Cup one notable example of a delayed tournament keeping its original name. 

WATCH: Watch every match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 only on Paramount+

AFC Asian Cup 2023: Qualified teams

A total of 24 nations will compete in this year’s edition of the AFC Asian Cup, with Tajikistan the only side to make their debut at the tournament.

Hong Kong will also feature for the first time in over 50 years, while Indonesia and Malaysia are returning for the first time since 2007. 

AFC Asian Cup 2023 groups

The top two teams in each group will automatically advance to the knockout stages, while the four best-performing third-placed teams will also earn progression through to the next round. 

This will firstly be adjudged on their head-to-head record, before goal difference will then be factored in if teams are unable to be split by the first metric. 

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F