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Asian Cup 2027 Postponed to December Due to Yemen Conflict
Confirmed
In Short: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the postponement of the 2027 Asian Cup, originally scheduled to start in January, to December 2027 due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the postponement of the 2027 Asian Cup, originally scheduled to start in January, to December 2027 due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
The decision was made following extensive discussions and consultations with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).
The AFC stated that the rescheduling was necessary “in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders” due to “exceptional circumstances” arising from the conflict.
The conflict has escalated since September, with Saudi Arabia repeatedly coming under attack from Yemen’s Houthis, including missile strikes on Riyadh’s airport that killed 13 people and injured over 300.
The postponement affects multiple sporting events in Saudi Arabia, including golf’s Asian Tour, cycling’s Urban World Championships, and the World Rally Championship’s final round.
The decision means that Premier League players who were expected to miss part of the current season due to the Asian Cup will now be more available.
What's confirmed
- “The organising committee for the AFC Asian Cup approved rescheduling the tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions,” the AFC’s statement added.
- "The new dates of the tournament will be presented to Fifa for approval."
- The AFC said the postponement was necessary "in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders" due to "exceptional circumstances." The Asian Football Confederation has confirmed that the 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia early next year, has been postponed amid regional security concerns.
What's still developing
- ALKHOBAR: Saudi Arabia will still host the Asian Cup, but not when it planned to.
- This is the second successive Asian Cup to be postponed after the 2023 tournament was moved to 2024 and to Qatar from China because of the Covid pandemic.
- The postponement comes only a week after the AFC said that the tournament would go ahead as planned despite an escalation in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemeni-based Houthi rebels in recent months.
- Riyadh, which boasts five of the eight stadiums set to be used for the Asian Cup, was scheduled to host 30 of the Asian Cup's 51 matches, including the final at King Fahd Sports City Stadium.
- “It was my choice to go until the Asian Cup. Although I was offered a four-year deal, I decided to go to the Asian Cup,” he said at the time.
- The attacks continued right up to Tuesday’s announcement.