2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia postponed over safety concerns

The 2027 Asian Cup football tournament in Saudi Arabia was postponed on Tuesday (November 3, 2026), the Asian Football Confederation said.

The competition had been due to run from January 7 to February 5, 2027, but will now take place from December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028. "The organising committee for AFC Asian Cup approved to reschedule the flagship national team tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region," the AFC said, and cited "substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions."

A number of sports events in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled or postponed in recent weeks following Houthi attacks on the country, the AFC statement said. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have targeted Saudi infrastructure, including airports, since hostilities resumed; the Houthis are fighting a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government, a civil war that reignited in July following a years-long truce.

Several high-profile events have already been affected: the 2027 Dakar Rally was moved out of Saudi Arabia last month and an exhibition tennis tournament due to feature Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev was postponed. The WTA Finals, which had been scheduled for Riyadh, will instead take place at Indian Wells in the United States, and domestic football matches and Asian Champions League games have also been impacted.

The AFC said the decision followed "extensive discussions and close consultation" between Saudi officials and the confederation, which is based in Kuala Lumpur. Local organisers had insisted last month that the Asian Cup was "on schedule," while the Saudi cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar were set to stage the month-long competition.

Yasser al-Misehal, chairman of the local organising committee, told the Saudi Press Agency: "The tournament will move to the new dates, and our preparations will continue as planned." He added: "We’re working closely with the AFC and all our partners to make sure the tournament runs smoothly and meets the high standards expected of Saudi Arabia and the Asian Cup."

The organisation representing South Korean players had publicly expressed strong reservations about staging the event early next year. Lee Keun-ho, president of the Korea Professional Footballers Association, said last month, according to Yonhap News Agency: "The ongoing military tensions and security instability in the Middle East are issues that cannot be taken lightly." Lee added that "no tournament’s value can take precedence over the lives and safety of players and football fans."

"The new dates of the tournament will be presented to FIFA for approval," it added.