The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially postponed the flagship AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia due to regional security escalation and logistics disruptions stemming from Houthi missile and drone attacks. The announcement was made via an official press release on Tuesday afternoon, November 3, 2026.
The tournament was originally scheduled to take place from January 7 to February 5, 2027. Under the newly proposed timeline, the AFC has rescheduled the competition to run from December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028. The proposed dates have been submitted to world football's governing body, FIFA, for final approval and calendar integration.
Read nextWhy Cristiano Ronaldo Excludes Milk and Dairy from His Diet: Insights From Former Chef Giorgio BaroneSaudi Arabia is hosting the Asian Cup for the first time as part of its major sports infrastructure roadmap leading up to the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Capital city Riyadh holds five of the tournament’s eight designated venues—including King Fahd Sports City Stadium—and was scheduled to host 30 of the 51 total matches. However, repeated Houthi strikes targeting Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport (resulting in 17 fatalities and over 300 injuries across 20 reported attacks in 11 days) created an exceptional security situation. The AFC emphasized that safeguarding participating teams, officials, supporters, and international stakeholders made postponement necessary.
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