The AFC Asian Cup 2023 is about the kick off! Like the African Cup of Nations, which is taking place concurrently, the Asian Cup was originally scheduled to take place last year. However, the start was pushed back January 12 due to the hot temperatures in host nation Qatar.
Below is our guide to how to watch AFC Asian Cup games, including free streams.
Host nation Qatar are the current holders of the AFC Asian Cup, which also features teams from the Middle East and Oceania. However, they did not have a great time when the World Cup was in the country, losing all three of their matches and going out at the group stage. With new manager Tintín Márquez in charge, The Maroons will be hoping to put in a better performance for their fans. They will face stiff competition from the likes of Japan, South Korea and Australia.
In total, 24 teams will compete for the AFC Asian Cup 2023. There are six groups of four sides, with the top two progressing. The four best-ranked third-place teams will also make it through to the last sixteen stage.
The first iteration of this tournament was held in 1956 in Hong Kong, with South Korea coming out on top. It has changed from a round-robin to a knockout-style tournament over the years. As time has gone on, Asian players have also become increasingly prominent and are now some of the biggest stars in world football. There will be top talent on display over the coming weeks.
Luckily, there are lots of ways to keep up with all the action. Read on and we will show you how to do so. Keep checking in on this page as the tournament goes on as we will keep you up to date.
How to watch AFC Asian Cup for free
Football fans in Oz can watch all Australia games – plus the semis and the final – for FREE on 10play.
Over in Indonesia, RCTI+ has FREE live streams of the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
And in the US, soccer fans can get a FREE 7-day trial of Paramount Plus.
But what if you're based in one of those countries but aren't at home for a particular AFC Asian Cup live stream?
Don't worry — you can watch your local streaming service via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.
How to watch AFC Asian Cup 2023 live streams in the US
Soccer fans in the U.S. can watch AFC Asian Cup live streams on Paramount Plus. That costs $5.99/month for the basic package or $11.99 without ads, but there's currently a 7-day FREE trial, so it's well worth checking out if you haven't used it before.
If you already use this service but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can watch the AFC Asian Cup live streams by using a VPN such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch AFC Asian Cup 2023 from anywhere with a VPN
You can watch AFCON 2023 on any of the streaming services above by using a VPN – no matter where you are in the world!
Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar. They have a helpful guide on the best VPN services if you'd like a full read.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
How to watch AFC Asian Cup 2023 live streams in the UK
Unfortunately, no deal has yet been done for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 broadcast rights in the U.K.
However, there could be a last-minute deal. Check back here and we will let you know if anything changes.
How to watch AFC Asian Cup 2023 live streams in Australia
Your AFC Asian Cup questions
When does the AFC Asian Cup take place?
The AFC Asian Cup begins on January 12 with Qatar vs Lebanon. That match kicks off at 8 am PT, 11 am ET, 4 pm GMT. The final will take place on February 10, 2024.
Where does AFC Asian Cup take place?
The tournament takes place in different nations each time, with the AFC Asian Cup 2023 hosted by Qatar. It will use seven of the stadiums see at the 2022 World Cup, as well as two more. The final will take place at the Lusail Stadium, which has a capacity of nearly 89,000.
Who are the top players?
There are a huge number of top players on display at the AFC Asian Cup. South Korea are led by Spurs superstar Son Heung-min. He will be joined by Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan and Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae, who was recently named his country's Player of the Year. Japan, meanwhile, are skippered by Liverpool’s Wataru Endo. Brighton’s Karou Mitoma and Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu are also in the Samuari Blues squad.
2015 winners Australia feature Harry Souttar of Championship leaders Leicester and AZ Alkmaar's Matt Ryan in goal.
Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored that famous winner against Argentina in the last World Cup, is once again in the Saudi Arabia squad. Teammate Firas Al-Buraikan has netted 11 times in 17 games in the Saudi Pro League, the most of any home player in that division.
The home fans will again put huge expectations on their star player, Akram Afif.
What is the AFC Asian Cup 2023 mascot?
Saboog, Tmbki, Freha, Zkriti and Traeneh, a family of five desert rodents, serve as mascots for the tournament. This is not the first time they've done the job - they featured when Qatar last held the AFC Asian Cup in 2011.
Ahmed Al Maadheed, the artist who created them explained:
"From the very beginning, we wanted to do something that inspired families and young people to be a part of the Asian Cup," Al Maadheed said. “We wanted to do dig deep into our rich ecological heritage and find an animal that could represent the best of what happens on the pitch and also in our daily lives, and that was the jerboa."
What is the official ball for the AFC Asian Cup 2023?
Players at the AFC Asian Cup 2023 will be using the 'VORTEXAC23' ball, which FIFA describes as a "vibrant orb of ingenuity". It was made by sports brand Kelme, was specially designed for the tournament, and features its logo.
What is the theme song for the AFC Asian Cup 2023?
You can't have a tournament without a theme song! For the AFC Asian Cup 2023 it is a track called "Hadaf", performed by Fahad Al Hajjaji & Humood AlKhudher. The title is the Arabic word for "goal", so let's hope it inspires plenty of them at the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
AFC Asian Cup 2023 Groups
- Group A: Qatar, China, Lebanon, Tajikistan
- Group B: Australia, Syria, India, Uzbekistan
- Group C: Iran, UAE, Hong Kong, Palestine
- Group D: Japan, Indonesia, Iraq, Vietnam
- Group E: South Korea, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain
- Group F: Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Oman
AFC Asian Cup 2023 Fixtures
Friday, January 12
Qatar vs Lebanon - 8am PT, 11am ET, 4 pm GMT
Saturday, January 14
Australia vs India - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
China vs Tajikistan - 6.30am PT, 9.30am ET, 2.30 pm GMT
Uzbekistan vs Syria 9.30am PT, 12.30pm ET, 5.30pm GMT
Sunday, January 14
Japan vs Vietn a.m. - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
UAE vs Hong Kong - 6.30am PT, 9.30am ET, 2.30 pm GMT
Iran vs Palestine - 9.30am PT, 12.30pm ET, 5.30pm GMT
Monday, January 15
South Korea vs Bahrain - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
Indonesia vs Iraq - 6.30am PT, 9.30am ET, 2.30 pm GMT
Malaysia vs Jordan - 9.30am PT, 12.30pm ET, 5.30pm GMT
Tuesday, January 16
Thailand vs Kyrgyzstan - 6.30am PT, 9.30am ET, 2.30 pm GMT
Saudi Arabia vs Oman - 9.30am PT, 12.30pm ET, 5.30pm GMT
Wednesday, January 17
Lebanon vs China - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30 am GMT
Tajikistan vs Qatar - 9.30am PT, 12.30pm ET, 5.30pm GMT
Thursday, January 18
Syria vs Australia - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30 am GMT
India vs Uzbekistan - 6.30am PT, 9.30am ET, 2.30 pm GMT
Palestine vs UAE - 9.30am PT, 12.30pm ET, 5.30pm GMT
Friday, January 19
Iraq vs Japan - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
Vietnam vs Indonesia - 6.30am PT, 9.30am ET, 2.30 pm GMT
Hong Kong vs Iran - 9.30am PT, 12.30pm ET, 5.30pm GMT
Saturday, January 20
Jordan vs South Korea - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
Bahrain vs Malaysia - 6.30am PT, 9.30am ET, 2.30 pm GMT
Sunday, January 21
Oman vs Thailand - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
Kyrgyzstan vs Saudi Arabia - 9.30am PT, 12.30pm ET,5.30pm GMT
Monday, January 22
Qatar vs China - 7am PT, 10 am ET, 3 pm GMT
Tajikistan vs Lebanon - 7am PT, 10 am ET,3 pm GMT
Tuesday, January 23
Australia vs Uzbekistan - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
Syria vs India - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
Hong Kong vs Palestine - 7am PT, 10 am ET, 3 pm GMT
Iran vs UAE - 7am PT, 10 am ET,3 pm GMT
Wednesday, January 24
Japan vs Indonesia - 7am PT, 10 am ET, 3pm GMT
Iraq vs Vietn a.m. - 7am PT, 10 am ET, 3pm GMT
Thursday, January 25
South Korea vs Malaysia - 7am PT, 10 am ET, 3pm GMT
Jordan vs Bahrain - 7am PT, 10 am ET, 3pm GMT
Kyrgyzstan vs Oman - 7am PT, 10 am ET, 3pm GMT
Saudi Arabia vs Thailand - 7am PT, 10 am ET, 3pm GMT
Sunday, January 28
R16 1: Group B winner vs third place Group A/C/D - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
R16 2: Second place Group A vs second place Group C - 8am PT, 11am ET, 4pm GMT
Monday, January 29
R16 3: Group D winner vs third place Group B/E/F - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
R16 4: Group A winner vs third place Group C/D/E - 8am PT ,11am ET, 4pm GMT
Tuesday, January 30
R16 5: Group B second place vs Group F second place - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
R16 6: Group F winner vs Group E second place - 8am PT, 11am ET, 4pm GMT
Wednesday, January 31
R16 7: Group E winner vs Group D second place - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
R16 8: Group C winner vs third place Group A/B/F - 8am PT,11am ET, 4pm GMT
Tuesday, February 2
QF 1: Winner of R16 1 vs winner of R16 2 - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
QF 2: Winner of R16 3 vs winner of R16 4 - 7.30am PT,10.30am ET, 3.30pm GMT
Wednesday, February 3
QF 3: Winner of R16 5 vs winner of R16 6 - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
QF 4: Winner of R16 7 vs winner of R16 8 - 3.30am PT, 6.30am ET, 11.30am GMT
Saturday, February 6
SF 1: Winner of QF 1 vs winner of QF 2 - 7am PT, 10am ET, 3pm GMT
Sunday, February 7
SF 2: Winner of QF 3 vs winner of QF 4 - 7am PT, 10am ET, 3pm GMT
Wednesday, February 10
Final: Winner of SF 1 vs winner of SF 2 - 7am PT, 10am ET, 3pm GMT
