Fans and players will get a taste of what the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will be like when the kingdom hosts the Asian Cup, with officials announcing Tuesday dates and stadiums for the regional showpiece.
Saudi Arabia was in December controversially awarded the World Cup but first it hosts the Asian Cup in 2027.
The tournament will be from January 7 to February 5 that year and be held in the capital Riyadh, plus Jeddah and Al Khobar, the Asian Football Confederation said, launching a two-year countdown.
Among the venues announced Tuesday for the 24-team regional competition were the 70 000-capacity King Fahd Sports City Stadium and King Saud University Stadium, both in Riyadh, which have also been earmarked to hold World Cup games.
Likewise the 60 000 King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
The Asian Cup will be spread across eight stadiums.
"Confirming the dates and selecting the stadiums for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 is a strategic milestone in our journey to host the tournament," said Yasser al-Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.
Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, staged and won the Asian Cup a year ago.
The tournament was supposed to take place in China in 2023 but was moved out of the country because of the country's Covid policies at the time.