The Saudi Arabia-hosted Asian Cup 2027 could be postponed by a year to 2028 following a wave of attacks on the country by Yemen's Houthi forces. The disclosure comes as the continental tournament faces mounting speculation over a possible schedule change.
Under the current plan, the 2027 Asian Cup finals are set to kick off on January 7 in three Saudi cities: Jeddah, Riyadh and al-Khobar. But Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said organisers could adjust the timing "if needed," and that no decision is being rushed for now.
Speaking to reporters in Zurich, Al Khalifa said: "We can wait until the end of November." He also noted that the regional situation could change very quickly, for better or worse, and that monitoring developments on the ground was what mattered.
"If a decision needs to be made, we will make it, but we can delay by one year, to 2028, if necessary. Right now we are monitoring the situation and everything remains on schedule," Al Khalifa added.
In recent days, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly come under attacks from the Houthis at what is assessed to be a serious level of escalation. The security tensions have directly affected sporting activity in the country.
On Monday, a match involving Al-Nassr — the club of Cristiano Ronaldo — in the AFC Champions League was delayed by an hour after Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence authority announced it had intercepted a missile fired towards Riyadh. During the week, three Saudi Pro League matches, including one involving Al-Nassr, were also postponed.
Beyond football, the Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament, expected to feature Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, has also been pushed back to late December.
Against that backdrop, Australia — one of the 24 teams expected to compete at the Asian Cup — said it is "closely monitoring" the situation in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the organisation representing South Korean players raised "serious concerns about the safety of all players taking part in the Asian Cup."
"The ongoing military tensions and security instability in the Middle East are issues that cannot be taken lightly," Lee Keun-ho, president of the Korea Professional Footballers' Association, said, according to Yonhap news agency. Lee stressed that "no tournament is worth more than the lives and safety of players and football fans."
