AFC likely to postpone Asian Cup 2027

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has indicated a potential postponement of the 2027 Asian Cup to 2028, as attacks targeting Saudi Arabia have led to schedule adjustments for numerous sporting events.

"We might wait until the end of November," said AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa to reporters in Zurich, Switzerland, on 14/10, on the sidelines of a FIFA Council meeting. "The situation in the region can change very quickly, for better or worse. We need to monitor developments."

Salman affirmed that the AFC is not rushing to decide on postponing the tournament. "If a decision is needed, we will make it. But if necessary, we can delay the tournament by one year, to 2028. We are monitoring the situation, and everything remains on schedule," he added.

Vietnam (in red) during the third-place match against Malaysia at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 5/10/2026. *Photo: Hai Tu*

The possibility of adjusting the Asian Cup schedule emerged after a series of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, including a strike on Riyadh's international airport on 10/10. According to Reuters, the incident resulted in at least 12 fatalities and over 300 injuries. Yemen's Houthi movement, an Iran-backed force, claimed responsibility for the attack, described as the most severe in Saudi Arabia in over a decade.

The Asian Cup 2027 is scheduled to open on 7/1/2027 in Saudi Arabia, with 24 national teams competing across 8 stadiums in three cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar. This marks the first time the Gulf nation will host the Asian football championship. The Vietnam national team is in Group E with South Korea, UAE, and Yemen.

The security developments have impacted the sports calendar in the country. The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament, initially scheduled to take place from 21/10 to 24/10 in Riyadh, was postponed to 27-30/12. Organizers made the decision after assessing logistical and organizational challenges, along with potential impacts on the audience experience.

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz were among those expected to participate. Defending champion Jannik Sinner had previously withdrawn due to injury.

Saudi football has also been affected. The Saudi Pro League (SPL) organizers announced the postponement of three matches from round 9, including the anticipated clash between Al Ahli and Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr. The match, initially scheduled for 15/10, was moved to 6/3/2027. Two other matches, Al Riyadh versus Al Hilal and Al Ittihad versus Al Shabab, were also moved from 16/10 to 19/12.

The SPL explained that these decisions related to requirements for minimum rest periods between matches, alongside logistical and organizational factors. Therefore, it cannot be confirmed that all three matches were directly postponed due to security reasons. Previously, the match between Al Nassr and Neftchi Fergana in the AFC Champions League Elite still proceeded but was delayed by about one hour following a security alert in the capital.

The risk of disruption is not limited to football and tennis. The Asian Tour stated it is closely monitoring the situation ahead of the Saudi International golf tournament, scheduled for November in Riyadh. The organization has not yet announced any schedule changes.

At the national team level, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced it would not participate in the FIFAe World Cup, an esports tournament organized by FIFA in Jeddah from 16/10 to 25/10. The JFA stated the decision was made after a comprehensive assessment of the host country's situation, along with safety and security information. Football Australia also confirmed its security department is monitoring developments.

The most recent Asian Cup also experienced organizational changes. The tournament was initially scheduled for 6/2023 in China, but the country withdrew its hosting rights due to Covid-19 restrictions. Qatar subsequently took over hosting duties, moving the tournament to winter and holding matches from January to February 2024.