AFC reschedules Saudi-hosted Asian Cup to late December amid regional disruptions
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed on Tuesday that the AFC Asian Cup due to be held in Saudi Arabia has been postponed and will take place in December amid developments in the region. The move delays the 24-team tournament by nearly a year.
The tournament had been scheduled to kick off on January 7, 2027. The AFC said its organising committee approved the move “in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions.” The decision followed consultations with the local organising committee and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and came after a wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia that forced several events to be postponed, including Saudi Pro League fixtures and the Saudi International golf tournament. AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had said in October that a one-year delay was possible.
Saudi organisers said preparations would continue at the same pace despite the change of dates. The tournament will be the kingdom’s first Asian Cup as host, with matches scheduled in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. Organisers and the AFC have framed the shift as a response to the logistical and travel challenges cited in the organising committee statement.
India will not be there after failing to qualify from Group C, where only the group winner progressed. The Blue Tigers struggled from the start, opening with a goalless draw against Bangladesh before losing 1-0 to Hong Kong, China to a stoppage-time penalty. Khalid Jamil took over as head coach in the middle of the campaign.
Jamil’s first major assignment arrived in Singapore, where ten-man India salvaged a 1-1 draw through Rahim Ali’s late equaliser. The return fixture in Goa ended India’s qualification hopes as Singapore won 2-1, and India were eliminated for the first time since the 2015 cycle. A 1-0 loss away to Bangladesh followed, and India closed the campaign with a 2-1 win over Hong Kong; Singapore topped the group and booked their place.
For India, the postponement is being treated as more of a reset than a reprieve. A tournament held nearly a year later offers a longer window to rebuild without a continental deadline. "How Jamil and the AIFF use it, with friendlies, camps and squad planning, will say more about the next cycle than anything at this tournament," the report said.
The AFC will now submit the revised schedule to FIFA. The AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia has been rescheduled to December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028, subject to FIFA approval.