AFC postpones 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia to December 2027 after Houthi attacks

A postponement of nearly a year

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Tuesday, 3 November, that the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia will now begin on 23 December 2027 instead of 7 January 2027, and run until 21 January 2028. The BBC gives the original schedule as 7 January to 5 February. The AFC said its organising committee agreed to the change after extensive discussions with the local organising committee and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. The new dates still need approval from FIFA, world football's governing body. Until recently, Saudi organisers had resisted a postponement, and in late October they published kickoff times and a finished schedule to reassure continental federations that planning was on track.

Houthi attacks behind the decision

In October, a missile attack by Yemen's Houthi movement on Riyadh's international airport killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, according to Spiegel. The BBC puts the death toll at 13, so the reported figure stands between 12 and 13 depending on the outlet. Spiegel says the Houthis claimed the attack, the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in more than ten years. The Houthis control large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, while a Saudi-led coalition backs the internationally recognised government. A truce had held in that war since 2022, but Spiegel links the renewed escalation to the start of the Iran war in late February. Al Jazeera reports that Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly attacked since September, with Riyadh among the cities targeted by missiles.

Knock-on effects for sport

On Friday, 30 October, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone aimed at the Mecca region. Al Jazeera also reports that a missile aimed at western Saudi Arabia had been brought down. Several sporting events planned in the kingdom had already been postponed or moved abroad. Spiegel reports that the Six Kings Slam tennis invitational, featuring Alexander Zverev, is still set to take place at the end of the year after first being scheduled for October, while the BBC lists the event among recent cancellations. The 2027 Rally Dakar will instead run in Portugal and Morocco. The Guardian reports that teams due to travel to Saudi Arabia during the November international window have been forced to relocate their friendlies. The same outlet notes that Australia coach Tony Popovic, whose short-term extension was agreed just before the World Cup, has a contract due to expire once the originally scheduled January tournament is over.

What comes next

The postponement ends months of speculation, and the AFC has said it will submit the new dates to FIFA. The AFC's statement on the timetable reads simply as follows.

“The new dates of the tournament will be presented to Fifa for approval.”

The Guardian notes that the proposed dates fall in one of the busiest periods in European club football. The competition involves 24 teams, and it was due to start in Riyadh on 7 January 2027 before the decision was taken.