Saudi Arabia hosted an exceptional continental event, preparing for the draw of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup finals, amidst widespread anticipation from fans across the continent.

All eyes will be on Diriyah on May 9, where the draw ceremony will be held inside the historic Salwa Palace, one of the prominent landmarks listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The draw is scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM local time, with a live broadcast on the official platforms of the Asian Football Confederation.

The tournament will feature the participation of 24 teams, with 23 teams having already secured their qualification, while the final spot will be determined through a playoff between Lebanon and Yemen in June.

The teams will be distributed into four levels, each containing six teams, in preparation for dividing them into six groups in a balanced competitive system.

The first tier included strong teams, most notably Saudi Arabia, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, and Uzbekistan, reflecting the anticipated intensity of the competition.

The teams of Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, the UAE, Oman, and Syria were placed in the second tier, while the third tier included Bahrain, Thailand, China, Palestine, Vietnam, and Tajikistan.

As for the fourth level, it included Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, Indonesia, Kuwait, and Singapore, in addition to the qualifier from the match between Lebanon and Yemen.

The Saudi national team will play the opening match as the host country, in the edition that is being held on its soil for the first time.

The "Green" team is striving to achieve its fourth title in its history, having previously won in 1984, 1988, and 1996, with the ambition to match the record.

The tournament is scheduled to kick off on January 7, 2027, at the King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh, across 8 venues distributed between Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar.

The upcoming edition will have a historical character, with the participation of prestigious teams and the return of names that were absent in previous editions, which increases the strength of the competition and the anticipated excitement.