Tickets are now on sale to football fans in the Philippines for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 TM, the biggest sporting event ever hosted in the Middle East.
The expanded competition takes place across eight world-class stadiums in the UAE from Jan. 5 to Feb. 1, 2019 and will see the Philippines compete in Group C against China, South Korea and Kyrgyzstan in their opening three games of the tournament.
The Philippine Azkals qualified for the first time with their come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Tajikistan last March.
The expanded competition, which is set to welcome an unprecedented 24 teams—eight more than the previous 2015 edition —will take place across eight world-class stadiums in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Sharjah, and promises to engage more fans than ever before in the biggest sporting event ever hosted in the region.
“The AFC ‘s Vision and Mission outlined our ambitions to provide world-class platforms for our teams, players and passionate fans,” said Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman Ebrahim Al Khalifa. “The launch of ticket sales is an important milestone and the UAE is the perfect host nation to unite the Asian football family. I am confident that the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 will provide the ultimate stage to showcase Asia’s remarkable talent and engage and excite more fans than ever before. In the LOC, we have a trusted partner who share our ambitions of Bringing Asia Together and to deliver the most competitive and accessible AFC Asian Cup to date.”
Ticket prices for the competition have been set to allow as many people as possible—from the millions of Asians already residing in the UAE to the 2 billion living within a four-hour flight—to come and experience the thrill of top-class, live international football.