AFC moves 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia to December 23, 2027 – January 21, 2028 after Houthi attacks
The 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia will now run from December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028, nearly a year late, after Houthi strikes on the kingdom.
At a glance
- The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has moved the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia from January 7 – February 5, 2027 to December 23, 2027 – January 21, 2028.
- The AFC cited 'exceptional circumstances' in the region, including travel disruption and logistical problems, after months of Houthi missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.
- The new dates still need FIFA's approval because they cross the international match calendar and Europe's busy festive fixture period.
- Saudi organisers say the country is 'fully ready'; it is the biggest sporting event yet moved because of the Middle East conflict.
The 2027 AFC Asian Cup will kick off in Saudi Arabia on December 23, 2027, almost a full year later than planned. The Asian Football Confederation confirmed on Tuesday, November 3, that Asia's biggest national-team tournament will now run until January 21, 2028, instead of January 7 to February 5, 2027.
The AFC pointed to "exceptional circumstances" in the region, including travel disruption and heavy logistical problems. The decision was taken after consultations with the Saudi organisers, and the new dates still have to be approved by FIFA.
Old dates and new dates
| Original plan | New plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening match | January 7, 2027 | December 23, 2027 |
| Final | February 5, 2027 | January 21, 2028 |
| Length | 30 days | 30 days |
| Host | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia (unchanged) |
| Status | — | Needs FIFA approval |
The tournament keeps its host and its format: 24 national teams, with the kingdom staging the event for the first time. Only the calendar moves, pushed back by 50 weeks.
Why the AFC could not wait
Saudi Arabia has been hit by repeated missile and drone attacks from Yemen's Houthi movement since the wider conflict with Iran escalated. The worst came on October 10, when a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 13 people, according to Saudi authorities, and injured hundreds. International flights from the capital's main airport were suspended for more than two weeks, and several foreign airlines are still not flying to the kingdom.
Sport has already felt the impact. The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition in Riyadh was cancelled, several national teams moved their November friendlies out of Saudi Arabia, and the kingdom postponed its own football fixtures and the FII investment conference in October. The Asian Cup draw, first planned for April 2026, had already been put off indefinitely.
Pressure on the AFC had grown in recent weeks as member associations raised safety fears for players and travelling fans. With the opening match barely two months away and airlines still avoiding Saudi airspace, keeping the January 2027 date was no longer realistic.
Saudi organisers say they are ready
Yasser al-Misehal, chairman of the local organising committee and president of the Saudi football federation, said the kingdom remained "fully ready" to host the tournament. The organising committee approved the rescheduling together with the AFC, a sign that Riyadh accepted a delay rather than risk losing the event.
That matters to Saudi Arabia. The Asian Cup is meant to be the first of a series of giant events on the way to the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which the kingdom will host. A successful tournament at the end of 2027 is now part of that plan.
The calendar problem FIFA has to solve
FIFA's sign-off is not a formality. A tournament from late December to late January lands in the middle of the European club season, including England's busy Christmas and New Year fixtures, so clubs will lose their Asian players for up to a month at the toughest point of the season. Leagues across Asia, including the Saudi Pro League, will also have to rearrange their schedules around the new window.
Asia has been here before. The 2023 Asian Cup was moved from June–July 2023 to January–February 2024 after China gave up hosting rights, and Qatar staged it at short notice. Qatar won that edition, so it heads to Saudi Arabia as the defending champion.
What it means for fans in Pakistan and South Asia
Neither Pakistan nor India qualified for this edition, but South Asian fans are among the biggest audiences for Asian football, and hundreds of thousands of South Asian workers live in Saudi Arabia. Many had hoped to watch matches in person in early 2027. They now have an extra year to plan.
Anyone who bought travel for January 2027 should check with their airline about changes or refunds. Ticket sales and match schedules will have to be reissued once FIFA approves the new window.
What comes next
FIFA is expected to rule on the dates in the coming weeks. After that, the AFC will set a new date for the group-stage draw and confirm the full match schedule and venues. The opening match is now set for December 23, 2027.
Questions people are asking
When is the 2027 AFC Asian Cup now?
The tournament in Saudi Arabia is now scheduled from December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028, subject to FIFA approval. It was originally due to run from January 7 to February 5, 2027.
Why was the Asian Cup 2027 postponed?
The AFC cited exceptional circumstances in the region, including travel disruption and logistics, after Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, among them an October strike on Riyadh's airport that killed 13 people.
