AFC open to postponing 2027 Asian Cup after Saudi attacks

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 12:08 · Archive

Football's Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, scheduled for January 2027, could be postponed to 2028 following Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

Football's Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, scheduled to begin on January 7, 2027, could be postponed to 2028 following a series of attacks by Yemen's Houthis. The tournament will be rescheduled 'if we need to' but organisers are in 'no hurry' to decide, Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said. A strike on Riyadh's international airport on Saturday killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.

The AFC will wait until the end of November to make a final decision. 'Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region,' Al Khalifa said. 'At the moment we are monitoring the situation and everything is on schedule.' The tournament is supposed to be held in the Saudi cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and al-Khobar.

Several sporting events have already been disrupted. Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr had an Asian Champions League match delayed by an hour after Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence said it had intercepted a missile fired towards Riyadh. Three matches in Saudi domestic football, including one involving Al-Nassr, were postponed this week. The exhibition Six Kings Slam tennis tournament was pushed back to the end of December. Australia, one of 24 teams set to play at the Asian Cup, said it was 'closely monitoring' the situation in Saudi Arabia.

How it is being reported

• Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia could be postponed by a year amid Houthi attacksThe tournament is scheduled to begin on January 7 but could be moved by a year if needed, AFC president says.Al Jazeera · 15 Oct, 11:44
• AFC open to postponing Asian Cup as attacks in Saudi Arabia disrupt sports calendarA strike on Riyadh's international airport on Saturday killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.The Japan Times · 15 Oct, 01:35

In this story: Asian Football Confederation · Saudi Arabia · Yemen · Houthis · Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa · Riyadh

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem