Asia's biggest football tournament, the AFC Asian Cup 2027, has been pushed back by almost a year. The Asian Football Confederation said on Tuesday that the tournament in Saudi Arabia will now be played from December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028, instead of January 7 to February 5, 2027.
According to the confederation's statement, the Asian Cup organising committee approved the new schedule "in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region", also citing substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions. It said the new dates would be presented to FIFA for approval and that the decision followed extensive consultation with Saudi officials.
According to sources, several major sports events in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled or postponed in recent weeks following Houthi attacks on the country, although local organisers said last month that the Asian Cup was on schedule. The month-long tournament is due to be staged in Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar.
The confederation said the original schedule had become impractical, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders.