AFC Asian Cup 2007 - Broadcast Opening Sequence

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Copyright (c) 2007 Asian Football Confederation

The 2007 AFC Asian Cup marked the first time that the tournament was staged in multiple countries more than one, having been co-hosted by four Southeast Asian nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Then-AFC President Mohammed Bin Hammam proposed and presented a move to have four host countries for the 2007 edition. However, he later regretted this decision and called it his "mistake", citing the financial and logistic difficulties in organizing an event across four countries.

Prior to 2007 and every four years, Asia often held its continental tournament from 1956 until China in 2004. But with the Summer Olympics and the UEFA European 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.

The final was held at Indonesia's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, in which it saw Iraq won the title for the first time in its history, just as they defeated Saudi Arabia, 1–0. It has been a Cinderella story for Iraq in the lead-up to the 2007 Asian Cup, as the Usood Al-Rafidain had reached the final against any expectations, with the team being forced to train outside of their war-torn country and suffering from transport problems and a lack of facilities.

The result saw thousands of Iraqis spilling onto the streets to celebrate the victory, and the win helped to unite the people of the nation. Iraq's achievement is seen as one of international football's greatest giant-killings and among one of the sport's greatest fairytale victories.