South Korea and Japan are considering a joint bid to host the 2035 men's Asian Cup, rekindling their partnership after successfully co-hosting the 2002 FIFA World Cup. An official from the Korea Football Association (KFA) confirmed on Friday that the organization has communicated its plans to the Sports Ministry regarding a potential joint bid for the 2035 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup.

The KFA official stated that working-level discussions have taken place with the Japan Football Association, leading to a consensus on potential cost savings through co-hosting the event. This move comes as both nations seek to bring the top AFC tournament back to East Asia, a region that has not hosted the event since China in 2004.

In February, South Korea had already submitted its "Expression of Interest" to the AFC for the 2031 Asian Cup. The AFC received a record seven bids for the 2031 edition, including those from Australia, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and a joint bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The UAE later withdrew its bid. The AFC has decided to simultaneously select hosts for both the 2031 and 2035 Asian Cups. The deadline for submitting the Expression of Interest for the 2035 competition is December 31.

Formal bidding documents, including government guarantees, must be submitted to the AFC by June 30, 2026. Following inspection visits by AFC officials, the hosts for both the 2031 and 2035 tournaments will be chosen in 2027.

The AFC Asian Cup, which was first held in 1956, was last hosted by South Korea in 1960, which also marks the last time the country won the tournament. South Korea was unsuccessful in its bid for the 2023 Asian Cup, which was eventually held in early 2024 in Qatar. The 2027 tournament is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia.

Japan is also considering a joint bid with other Asian countries to host the FIFA World Cup in either 2042 or 2046, aiming to bring the tournament back to the region for the first time since 2002 when they co-hosted with South Korea. This initiative involves a coalition of countries from the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), potentially including China and South Korea.

The potential joint bid for the 2035 Asian Cup reflects a continued interest from both South Korea and Japan in hosting major international football tournaments and promoting the sport within the region.