"The decision was made after careful consideration to ensure all stakeholders can participate smoothly and without disruption", an AFC announcement this afternoon stated.

A new draw schedule will be announced as soon as possible.

The Asian Cup 2027 finals will be held in Saudi Arabia from 7/1 to 5/2/2027. Photo: X/saudi2027.

The AFC's decision stems from the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Travel for team representatives to Saudi Arabia is currently deemed dangerous and difficult.

The conflict has shown no signs of de-escalation towards negotiations since the US and Israel launched a strike campaign against Iran on 28/2. Iran subsequently retaliated against US bases and infrastructure in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

The Asian Cup 2027 will feature 24 teams, hosted in Saudi Arabia from 7/1 to 5/2/2027. Among these, 18 teams that participated in the third round of the World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers have direct berths: Saudi Arabia, Australia, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, Qatar, UAE, Japan, South Korea, Oman, Palestine, Bahrain, Jordan, China, Indonesia, North Korea, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan.

The remaining six spots will be determined by 24 teams eliminated from the first and second rounds of World Cup qualifiers. This group will be divided into six tables, playing a double round-robin format on a home-and-away basis, with the six table winners advancing to the finals.

Besides Vietnam, two teams that have already secured spots in the final qualifying round are Singapore (Group C) and Syria (Group E). The three remaining spots are contested between Tajikistan and the Philippines (Group A), Lebanon and Yemen (Group B), and Turkmenistan and Thailand (Group D).

The final matchday of the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, scheduled for 31/3, also faces uncertainty. The conflict has forced the Lebanon Football Federation to suspend all football activities until April, leading them to propose postponing their home match against Yemen. This further contributes to the AFC's decision to delay the final draw.

Previously, the Middle East conflict had forced the AFC to temporarily postpone matches in the West Asia region across three club competitions: AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite, ACL Two, and AFC Challenge League. On 24/3, the AFC decided to reorganize these matches, changing the home-and-away format to single-leg ties played at centralized venues.

The round of 16 for ACL Elite in West Asia will take place in Saudi Arabia on 13/4 and 14/4, just before the quarterfinals, which are scheduled from 16/4 to 25/4. ACL Two and AFC Challenge League are planned for 19/4 and 22/4, but the centralized venues have not yet been finalized.

Hieu Luong