AFC Asian Cup 2027: Iran drawn with Syria, China, Kyrgyzstan

Tehran - BORNA - The ceremony took place in the Saudi capital with the attendance of Asian football dignitaries, including Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei, who observed the grouping of the 24 participating teams. The prestigious tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Saudi Arabia across the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar from January 7 to February 5, 2027. As a top-seeded team in Pot 1, Iran successfully avoided other continental powerhouses such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the host nation in the initial stage of the competition.

The "Team Melli" campaign will officially begin on January 9, 2027, with a high-stakes opening match against China, followed by a fixture against Kyrgyzstan on January 13. Iran will conclude its Group C matches on January 18 in a highly anticipated encounter with Syria. In other sections of the draw, the host nation Saudi Arabia was placed in Group A with Oman, Palestine, and Kuwait, while Group B features Uzbekistan, Jordan, Bahrain, and North Korea. Group D consists of Australia, Iraq, Tajikistan, and Singapore, whereas South Korea leads Group E against the UAE, Vietnam, and either Lebanon or Yemen. Finally, Group F brings together Japan, Qatar, Thailand, and Indonesia.

The tournament will officially kick off with an opening match between Saudi Arabia and Palestine at the King Fahd International Stadium. Iran, a three-time champion of the Asian Cup, enters this edition with the aim of ending its long title drought, building on a consistent run of form in recent international qualifiers. The final standings of the groups will determine the progression to the knockout rounds as 24 nations vie for the most coveted trophy in Asian football.

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