MANAMA: Saudi Arabia has won a bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Wednesday. The announcement was made at the AFC Congress in the Bahraini capital of Manama.

Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder after India withdrew in December. “We are excited to deliver the greatest tournament in the competition’s history,” the kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said after the announcement.

The world’s biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia has thrown hundreds of millions at sports deals including the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo, Formula One in Jeddah and the lucrative LIV Golf tour.

In the coming years the Saudis, who watched as neighbours Qatar hosted the World Cup in November and December, will hold the women’s Asian Cup, the Olympic-sized Asian Games and even the Asian Winter Games on artificial snow.