| Founded | 1956 1972 (first final) |
|---|---|
| Region | Asia (AFC) |
| Number of teams | 46 (qualification) 24 (final tournament) |
| Current champions |  Qatar (2nd title) |
| Most successful team(s) |  Japan (4 titles) |
The AFC Asian Cup is an association football competition established in 1956. It is contested by the men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the sport's Asian governing body, and takes place generally every four years. The winners of the first tournament were South Korea, who won in a round-robin style tournament. The first final was in 1972, where Iran defeated South Korea 2–1 after extra time in Bangkok. The most recent final, hosted in Lusail in 2023, saw Qatar defeat Jordan 3–1.
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The Asian Cup final is the last match of the competition and the result determines which country's team is declared Asian champion. As of the 2023 tournament, if after 90 minutes of regular play the score is a draw, an additional 30-minute period of play, called extra time, is added. If such a game is still tied after extra time, it is decided by penalty shoot-out. The team that wins the penalty shoot-out are then declared champions. The fourteen finals to-date have produced five matches go into extra-time, and two of those further being determined by a penalty shoot-out. The winners are awarded the Asian Cup trophy. [1]
Japan is the most successful team at the tournament, winning it four times. Iran and Saudi Arabia both have three titles, South Korea and Qatar each have two, and Israel, Kuwait, Iraq and Australia have one a-piece.
