2007 AFC Asian Cup
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup was the 14th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held from 7 to 29 July 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four countries in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam; it was the first time in football history that more than two countries joined as hosts of a major continental competition and the only one to have ever taken place until the UEFA Euro 2020.
| |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host countries | Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam |
| Dates | 7–29 July |
| Teams | 16 (from 1 confederation) |
| Venue(s) | 8 (in 7 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Iraq (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Saudi Arabia |
| Third place | South Korea |
| Fourth place | Japan |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 32 |
| Goals scored | 84 (2.63 per match) |
| Attendance | 724,222 (22,632 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Younis Mahmoud Naohiro Takahara Yasser Al-Qahtani (4 goals each) |
| Best player(s) | Younis Mahmoud |
| Best goalkeeper | Noor Sabri |
| Fair play award | Japan |
Iraq won the continental title for the first time after defeating three-time champion Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final. As the winner, Iraq represented the AFC in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Before 2007 and every four years, Asia often held its continental tournament from 1956 until China in 2004. With the Summer Olympic Games and the European Football Championship also held in the same year as the Asian Cup, the AFC changed their tradition. From 2007, AFC decided to hold its continental tournament a year earlier, and every four years henceforth from that date.
An estimated worldwide television audience of 650 million people tuned in to watch the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.
Australia participated for the first time since moving to the AFC from the OFC. Australia also happened to be the tournament's first nation aside from the co-hosts to qualify for the 2007 Asian Cup.