Asian Cup Delayed to December 2027

The 2027 Asian Cup football tournament in Saudi Arabia is now postponed from January to December. This change is due to "exceptional circumstances" in the region, the governing body for football in Asia announced on Tuesday.

Recently, several major sports events in Saudi Arabia have either been cancelled or postponed. This follows Houthi attacks on the country.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said, "The organising committee for AFC Asian Cup approved rescheduling the flagship national team tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region."

They also pointed out "substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions."

The AFC added, "The new dates of the tournament will be presented to FIFA for approval."

Originally, the tournament was set to run from January 7 to February 5 next year. The new dates are now December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028.

Last month, local organisers insisted that the Asian Cup was "on schedule," even though there were growing concerns about the tournament's future.

The cities of Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al Khobar will host the month-long competition.

The decision to push back the tournament by almost a year was made after "extensive discussions and close consultation" between Saudi officials and the AFC.

The AFC stated, "Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organisation and delivery of the competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators, and other stakeholders."