China has revealed its intention to host the 2023 Asian Cup in a move which could set the nation up for a bid for the football World Cup.
In a letter to its members, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced a time scale for its bid for the tournament, which is due to take place in June/July 2023.
A letter of intent to bid shall be sent to the members of the CFA and the host city sports bureau by 29 February, with the full bid set to be submitted in March. The letter also set out the terms in which the nation would host the tournament.
The AFC Asian Cup consists of 24 teams participating in a total of 51 games. As part of its bid, the CFA has earmarked six host cities and eight stadia in which the tournament would take place. The opening match, the semi-final and the final must take place in a stadium with 40,000+ capacity.
China has over 30 facilities with the required capacity, including the 91,000-capacity Beijing National Stadium and the 80,000-capacity Guangdong Olympic Stadium, which hosted the 2008 Olympic football tournament.
However, the letter indicated that the arenas would need to meet the required standard of function rooms, parking spaces and public transportation. All host cities must have an international airport, while ten 5-star hotels must be spread across the locations.
China published a similar letter of intent for the hosting of the 2019 Asian Cup, but reportedly withdrew its bid. The United Arab Emirates will host that particular tournament, while last year’s competition was hosted, and won, by Australia.
If China pushes ahead with its bid, the move will solidify its intentions to invest in football. President Xi Jinping has in the past expressed his desire to qualify for and host a World Cup tournament.
Last month, a Chinese consortium – China Media Capital (CMC) and private equity company CITIC Capital – paid US$400m (£265m, €378m) deal to
take a stake in Premier League club Manchester City.
“Football is now at a fascinating and critical stage in development in China. We see unprecedented growth in both its development as an industry, being China’s most-watched sport, and its inspirational role bringing people of all ages together with a shared passion,” said CMC’s Ruigang Li following the deal.
