The 2023 Asian Cup kicks off: From the continent to the world stage.

Over 17 editions, the Asian Cup has become a true festival of Asian football. The strongest teams in the region compete for the prestigious championship, showcasing their class on a continental scale.

This will be an opportunity for fans to witness exciting and captivating matches, no less thrilling than those in top tournaments like the EURO or the World Cup.

Asia's Big Festival

The 2023 Asian Cup will be held in Qatar from January 12th to February 10th, 2024. This marks the second time Qatar has hosted a major football tournament, having successfully hosted the 2022 World Cup finals. Prior to this, no country had ever hosted the Asian Cup after hosting the World Cup, making the tournament in Qatar unique and highly anticipated.

Qatar was not the original host of the Asian Cup. It wasn't until May 2022, after the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) announced a change of host location from China, that Qatar became the host of the 2023 Asian Cup. Due to the country's harsh summer weather, the 2023 Asian Cup was held in early 2024.

Qatar possesses all the necessary elements and conditions to host the Asian Cup after successfully organizing the 2022 World Cup. During the World Cup in Qatar, the facilities and infrastructure were highly praised by FIFA. Professionally, the host nation Qatar also invested heavily in improving the national team's level. It's worth remembering that the Qatar national team will enter the 2023 Asian Cup as the host nation and the defending champion.

Asian Cup and its rich history

The Asian Cup is a football tournament organized by the AFC, held every four years. It is the biggest football tournament in Asia and the second oldest continental football championship in the world after the Copa America.

Two years after the AFC was founded in 1954, the first Asian Cup was held in Hong Kong (China), with 7 of the 12 founding AFC members participating, making the Asian Cup the second oldest tournament in the world. After Hong Kong (China) and South Korea hosted the first two editions, Israel was chosen to host the 1964 Asian Cup. Using the same format as the previous two tournaments, the Asian Cup in Israel also featured only four teams playing a round-robin format in a single group to determine the champion. Israel ultimately topped their group with three wins to claim the title.

The format was updated to five teams in 1968, before being expanded to six teams in 1972 and 1976. The tournament gradually became a playground for the Iranian national team, who won three consecutive Asian Cups in 1968, 1972, and 1976. From 1980 to 1988, the number of participating teams increased to 10, but West Asian nations continued to dominate in the 1980s, with Kuwait becoming the first Arab nation to win the championship in 1980, defeating South Korea 3-0 in the final. Saudi Arabia, after a rocky start, began to emerge as a strong contender, subsequently winning two consecutive Asian Cup titles in 1984 and 1988, defeating both China and South Korea.

Japan: Dominating the continent, and stepping onto the world stage?

In the late 1990s, the Asian Cup began to be professionalized. Until the 1990s, the Japanese national team was a minor name in Asian football, and the country had only qualified for the tournament since 1988.

However, Japan quickly made significant strides when they hosted the 1992 Asian Cup. This tournament featured eight teams divided into two groups, and hosts Japan won for the first time after defeating defending champions Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final. Since then, the Japanese national team has gradually dominated Asia with outstanding performances. Since 1984, Japan (4 times) and Saudi Arabia (3 times) have been the most successful teams, with a combined total of 7 titles in the last 10 Asian Cup tournaments.

According to experts, Japan remains the top contender for the 2023 Asian Cup title. There are several reasons why Japan is considered superior to its rivals. Despite only participating in the Asian Cup nine times, the team from the Land of the Rising Sun has a remarkable track record of winning the title, becoming the most successful team with four championships.

Moreover, the Japanese national team boasts some of the highest-quality players. Most of their players compete in Europe and countries with developed football systems. Therefore, Japan remains on a different level compared to the rest of the tournament. The recent form of coach Hajime Moriyasu's team is also incredibly convincing. In their winning streak, Japan defeated many strong opponents from other continents such as Germany, Turkey, and Tunisia. To prepare for this year's Asian Cup, Japan beat the AFF Cup champions Thailand 5-0. This can be seen as a comparison to illustrate the formidable strength of coach Hajime Moriyasu's team compared to the rest of the teams at the 2023 Asian Cup.