Six football arenas for 2023 AFC Asian Cup under construction

BEIJING - Six football arenas to be used for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup have been put under construction, the Preparatory Office of the tournament said on Friday.

The 2023 Asian Cup will feature 24 of the continent's best teams competing across the country during a month-long tournament from June 9 to July 9 in 2023. China hosted the 13th edition of the Asian Cup in 2004, so the 2023 edition will mark the second time that Asia's top football competition will be played in China.

Ten Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai will host the 2023 Asian Cup, with Beijing hosting the opening ceremony and the final.

Six host cities, including Chongqing, Xi'an, Xiamen, Suzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu have started building football arenas for the tournament. Dalian and Qingdao will start their football projects in late September or early October. While Beijing's Workers' Stadium and Tianjin's Teda Football Stadium will start their transformation into professional football arenas later in 2020.

"The 2023 AFC Asian Cup will leave us valuable legacies. Ten football arenas will be a major boost to China's football industry and infrastructure," said Shi Qiang, Secretary General of the Preparatory Office of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.