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Saudi Arabia Keeps 2027 Asian Cup Plans Despite Houthi Attacks on Riyadh Airport
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Saudi Arabia plans to host the 2027 Asian Cup despite security concerns. AFC could postpone the tournament to 2028 amid ongoing regional instability.
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“AFC officials are reportedly working on a contingency plan under which Australia could host the Asian Cup”
“AFC chief Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said earlier this week that a postponement of the continental championships until 2028 was possible if necessary”
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Asian Cup stays on
Saudi Arabia’s local organisers said the 24-team Asian Cup football tournament is on track to take place in Saudi Arabia early next year, with the local organising committee stating, "Preparations across all organisational and operational areas are progressing according to the approved schedule, including work on venues, facilities and supporting services,".
The Asian Cup is scheduled to run from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027, and the organising committee said it would continue monitoring developments relevant to the tournament and ensure the appropriate conditions are in place.
The disruptions followed attacks on Riyadh, and the Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack at Riyadh’s international airport, which killed 14 people and wounded more than 300.
The golf Asian Tour postponed the Saudi International indefinitely, and the Asian Tour said the decision followed an assessment of the organisational and logistical challenges of hosting the tournament at Riyadh Golf Club on November 18-21.
AFC chief Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said a postponement of the continental championships until 2028 was possible if necessary, while the local organising committee said on Friday it was sticking to the original schedule.
AFC weighs a delay
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said the 2027 AFC Asian Cup could be postponed to 2028 if regional security concerns persist, and he told reporters, "If we need to make a decision, we will. But we can postpone the tournament by a year to 2028 if necessary,".
Sheikh Salman said the AFC was closely following developments and could hold off on making a final decision until the end of November, framing the situation as one where "The situation is changing very quickly, for better or worse, in the region, and it's a matter of monitoring developments,".
The AFC president spoke in Zurich, and he said the Asian Cup is scheduled to kick off on Jan. 7, 2027, with Saudi Arabia hosting matches across Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar.
The uncertainty came as Saudi league matches were postponed, including a ninth-round fixture featuring Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr against Al Ahli.
The VnExpress account also tied the reassessment to an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Oct. 10, which left at least 12 people dead and over 300 injured and forced the major transport hub to close until Oct. 17.
Sport calendar ripple effects
Australia withdrew its team from the urban cycling World Championships on Friday, and AusCycling said the decision was made "with the safety and wellbeing of our athletes and staff our highest priority". The Australian government advised travellers to "reconsider" trips to Saudi Arabia in general and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport in particular due to recent security incidents. FIFA postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026 video game competition in Jeddah until an unspecified future date, and the Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament in Riyadh was moved from October to December.
Pars Today said the World Tennis event in Riyadh was postponed from October to December, with the new dates set for December 27–30, 2026, after Yemen’s response to Saudi attacks and growing security concerns. The stakes for the Asian Cup planning extended to participating teams, because the Korea Football Association was planning to hold two away friendly matches in Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia during the November A-match period, and the Sports Chosun report said the uncertainty could affect the interim coaching system under Robert Moreno.