The 2019 AFC Asian Cup will be the 17th edition of the quadrennial international men's football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It will be held in the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to February 1, 2019. It will be the second time that the UAE has hosted the tournament after the 1996 finals. For the first time, the Asian Cup will be contested by 24 teams, having been expanded from the 16-team format that was used from 2004 to 2015. The finalists will contest a group stage consisting of six groups of four teams, followed by a knockout stage of 16 teams. Australia are the defending champions. The winner of the 2019 Asian Cup will earn the right to participate in the 2021 Fifa Confederations.