Asian Cup postponed to late 2027 as AFC seeks FIFA approval for new dates

The Asian Football Confederation has postponed the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, moving its planned start from January to December after regional hostilities disrupted preparations. The AFC announced the decision on Tuesday, with the proposed replacement dates still requiring approval from FIFA before the revised schedule can be finalised.

Watch the highlights:

In its official statement, the AFC said the competition had originally been due to run from 7 January to 5 February 2027. It now proposes an opening day of 23 December 2027 and a final on 21 January 2028, shifting the national-team tournament almost a full year beyond its original starting point.

The confederation said the decision followed discussions with the local organising committee and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. It identified difficulties with logistics and disruption to travel arising from developments in the region as reasons for changing the timetable. The tournament's organising committee approved the postponement, while the new dates will be submitted to world football's governing body.

The announcement follows recent attacks in Saudi Arabia, including a strike on Riyadh's airport in October. BBC Sport reported that the airport attack was carried out by Yemen's Houthi movement. The broadcaster also reported that other events in the country had been cancelled, including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition that had been scheduled for Riyadh.

The move reverses the position maintained by local organisers in recent weeks. According to Associated Press, Saudi officials released kickoff times and a finalised schedule as recently as last week to reassure football federations that preparations were continuing. AP reported that the month-long competition was planned for 24 teams, with matches at eight venues across Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar.

Agence France-Presse reported that local organisers had insisted in October that the competition remained on schedule despite growing concerns. Tuesday's announcement ends that commitment to a January start. The AFC has confirmed the postponement, but its statement makes a distinction between approving the delay and securing FIFA's agreement to the proposed December-to-January tournament window.