Tuesday 03 / November / 2026
RIYADH: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Tuesday that the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia has been postponed from its original dates of January 7 to February 5, 2027, to December 23, 2027, through January 21, 2028.
In a statement, the AFC said the decision followed consultations with the tournament's Local Organising Committee and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.
Local organisers agreed to reschedule due to “circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions,” the AFC said. “Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organisation and delivery of the competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders.”
The AFC said the rescheduling was approved in light of exceptional circumstances arising from regional developments, including significant logistical challenges and travel disruptions.
The new tournament dates will be submitted to FIFA for approval.
The continental showpiece will serve as a dress rehearsal for Saudi Arabia, which is set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
A strike on Riyadh’s international airport last month killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.
Defending champions Qatar are part of the 24-team field that will take part in the 19th edition of the tournament.
Other sporting events in the Gulf have also been affected by the recent attacks.
The Dakar Rally was moved from Saudi Arabia to Portugal and Morocco due to the unrest in the region, while Yamaha pulled out of the Qatar MotoGP over safety concerns.
Golf’s Asian Tour postponed the Saudi International indefinitely, while cycling’s Urban World Championships was also cancelled.
The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament in Riyadh was also moved from October to December, with FIFA indefinitely postponing its FIFAe Finals 2026 video game competition in Jeddah.
The month-long tournament was scheduled to feature 24 teams playing matches in eight venues across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar. Iran qualified and has been grouped with Syria, China and Kyrgyzstan for the league stage. The Saudis, Australia, South Korea and Japan were top seeds in other groups.- Agencies
