In this Nov 23, 2018 file photo, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa attends a meeting with vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Sports Guidance Committee Choe Hwi at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang. (KIM WON JIN / AFP)

KUALA LUMPUR - Five football associations have expressed interest in hosting the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2027, the AFC said on Wednesday.

They are the All India Football Federation, Football Federation of Iran, Qatar Football Association, Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Uzbekistan Football Association

They are the All India Football Federation, Football Federation of Iran, Qatar Football Association, Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Uzbekistan Football Association, said the Asian football governing body.

Of the five expressing an interest, two have already hosted the tournament twice since 1956 with reigning champions Qatar hosting in 1988 and 2011, as well as Iran, the only nation in Asian football history to have won the title twice as hosts in 1968 and 1976.

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Three-time champions Saudi Arabia and India, who were recently awarded hosting rights for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, as well as Uzbekistan, this year's host for the AFC U-19 Championship, are all vying for the opportunity as first-time hosts.

AFC president Sheikh Salman said the competition remains the pinnacle stage of the game in the region, with the 2019 edition in Qatar having strengthened this legacy and expressed confidence that the 2023 edition in China would surpass all expectations.

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"On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to thank all our member associations for stepping forward to express their desire and for sharing our ambitions to host a world-class stage for our players, teams, officials and fans and I wish all of them the very best in the bidding process," he said.