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The President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Bahraini Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, announced that the Asian Cup scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia in early 2027 could be postponed by one year to 2028 if necessary, in light of the recent attacks the Kingdom has been subjected to.
Al Khalifa stated that the Confederation is in no rush to make a decision regarding the tournament, confirming that the situation will remain under observation during the coming period.
The 2027 Asian Cup is scheduled to kick off on January 7 in the cities of Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al-Khobar.
In statements to reporters in Zurich, Al Khalifa explained that they can wait until the end of November before making any decision, adding that the situation in the region could change rapidly for the better or worse, and that the decision will depend on the developments of events.
He added: "If we need to make a decision, we will, but we can postpone the tournament by a year to 2028 if necessary," noting that the Confederation is currently monitoring the situation and that preparations are proceeding according to the set schedule.
Recent days have witnessed security developments that have affected a number of sporting events in Saudi Arabia, as the Saudi Al-Nassr match in the AFC Champions League, led by Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, was delayed for an hour on Monday following the announcement by the Saudi-led military coalition that a missile launched toward Riyadh had been intercepted.
Three Saudi League matches were also postponed this week, including the Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr matches, while the "Six Kings Slam" exhibition tennis tournament, in which Serbian Novak Djokovic, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, and German Alexander Zverev were scheduled to participate, was postponed until the end of December.
Australia, one of the 24 teams scheduled to participate in the Asian Cup, said this week that it is monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia closely.
The draw for the 2027 Asian Cup finals placed the national team, the runner-up of the previous edition, in Group B alongside the national teams of Uzbekistan, Bahrain, and North Korea.
The 2027 Asian Cup finals will be held from January 7 to February 5 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the national team will begin its journey in the tournament by facing Uzbekistan on the evening of Friday, January 8, at King Abdullah City Stadium in Jeddah.
The Al-Nashama will meet the Bahraini national team in the second round on the evening of Wednesday, January 13, at the same stadium, before concluding their group stage journey by facing North Korea on the evening of Sunday, January 17, at Imam Muhammad bin Saud University Stadium in Riyadh.
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