The draw for the 2027 edition of the continent’s showpiece event, which runs from Jan 7 to Feb 5, took place on Saturday (May 9) in Diriyah on the outskirts of Riyadh.
At the draw, the War Elephants were placed in Group F alongside Japan, Qatar and Indonesia, while hosts Saudi Arabia will meet Kuwait, Oman and Palestine in Group A.
For the third time running, the Asian Cup will feature 24 national teams, with 23 already confirmed. The sole remaining spot will go to either Lebanon or Yemen, who contest a play-off in Doha on June 4.
On Saturday, teams were divided into four pots of six in accordance with the latest FIFA ranking as of Apr 1. At 18th in the official standings, Japan are the lead country in Asia, with Iran second (No. 21), South Korea third (No. 25) and Australia fourth (No. 27).
Allocated first position in Pot 1, Saudi Arabia are looking to add to the three titles they won in 1984, 1988 and 1996.
The opening match will be played on Jan 7 between Saudi Arabia and Palestine at the refurbished King Fahd Sports City Stadium, its 72,000 capacity making it the largest of the venues used.
Japan have lifted the trophy a record four times, although they have not won the tournament since 2011. Qatar won the past two tournaments, in 2019 and 2023.
Group A: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine; Group B: Uzbekistan, Bahrain, DPR Korea, Jordan; Group C: Islamic Republic of Iran, Syria, Kyrgyz Republic, China; Group D: Australia, Tajikistan, Iraq, Singapore; Group E: South Korea, UAE, Vietnam, Lebanon/Yemen; Group F: Japan, Qatar, Thailand, Indonesia.
- Additional reporting by The Phuket News