Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 Asian Cup after India withdrew its bid.
The Asian Football Confederation released a statement on Monday saying that the All Indian Football Federation has withdrawn from the selection process. No reason has been published.
Tenders from India and Saudi Arabia were listed by the AFC executive committee in October and the final decision was expected to be made at the regional conference in February. Saudi Arabia is now the only candidate to host the 2027 tournament.
The 2023 Asian Cup will be played in Qatar after China withdrew as host. Qatar, which hosts the ongoing World Cup, has already hosted the Asian Cup twice.
The Saudis started their World Cup campaign in Qatar with a stunning 2-1 win over Argentina, but missed out on the knockout stage after successive defeats to Poland and Mexico in Group C. Argentina topped the group and then. eliminated Australia in the Round of 16 to enter the quarterfinals.