The 2023 AFC Asian Cup was the 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It involved 24 national teams after its expansion in 2019, with the host Qatar the defending champions.
On 17 October 2022, the AFC announced that the tournament would be held in Qatar, replacing the original host China. Due to the high summer temperatures at Arabian Gulf and Qatar's participation in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the tournament was postponed to 12 January - 10 February 2024, while retaining the original name for both existing sponsorship and logistical purposes.
Hosts and defending champions Qatar successfully retained their title, defeating Jordan 3-1 in the final.
China was acclaimed as the host country on 4 June 2019, as sole finishing bidder, days just prior to the 69th FIFA Congress in Paris, France. The tournament was originally scheduled to be held from 16 June to 16 July 2023. On 14 May 2022, the AFC announced that China would not host the tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic and China's Zero-COVID policy. Due to China's relinquishment of its hosting rights, the AFC conducted a second round of bidding, with a deadline for submissions scheduled on 17 October 2022. Four nations submitted bids: Australia, Indonesia, Qatar, and South Korea. However, Australia subsequently withdrew in September 2022, as did Indonesia on 15 October. On 17 October, the AFC announced that Qatar had won the bid and would host the tournament.