Kuala Lumpur, November 3,2026: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has postponed the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, shifting the 24-team tournament from its scheduled January dates to December next year amid security concerns and travel disruptions following recent attacks in the region.
The tournament, originally scheduled to run from January 7 to February 5, will now take place from December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028, the AFC said on Tuesday.
The decision follows a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a strike on Riyadh’s international airport last month that reportedly killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Houthis also said on Monday that they had launched drones towards Dammam airport, further raising concerns about the tournament’s original schedule.
In a statement, the tournament’s organising committee said the postponement was necessary due to “exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region”, including significant logistical challenges and travel disruptions.
It added that the revised dates would be submitted to FIFA for approval, saying the decision was taken in the interests of participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders.
Yasser Al-Misehal, head of the local organising committee, said Saudi Arabia had been fully prepared to stage the competition as originally scheduled.
“We will continue our work with the same momentum leading up to the tournament’s new dates in December 2027,” Al-Misehal told the Saudi Press Agency.
He said the organisers were working closely with the AFC and other partners to ensure a high-standard event.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in sports through its Public Investment Fund in recent years. The Asian Cup was seen as an important opportunity to build experience ahead of the kingdom’s hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The country has won the Asian Cup three times but has never hosted the continental championship.
The tournament, traditionally held in odd-numbered years, had been scheduled to move to an even-year cycle beginning with the 2032 edition.
Security concerns and travel disruptions have also affected several other sporting events in Saudi Arabia.
Golf’s Asian Tour postponed the Saudi International indefinitely, while cycling’s Urban World Championships were cancelled. The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament in Riyadh was moved from October to December, and FIFA postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026 video game competition in Jeddah until an unspecified date.
However, not all sporting events in the kingdom have been disrupted. Mexican boxer Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defeated Christian Mbilli in their world title bout in Riyadh on Saturday.
