AFC President Hints at Possible 1-Year Postponement of Asian Cup Amid Saudi Unrest

Amid growing instability in the Middle East surrounding Saudi Arabia, the host country of next year's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, the head of the AFC has raised the possibility of delaying the tournament by a year.

According to Reuters on the 15th (KST), AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa met with reporters in Zurich, Switzerland, where the FIFA Council is meeting. When asked about the hosting of the 2027 Asian Cup, he initially stated, "We can wait until the end of November," adding, "The situation in the region can improve or worsen very quickly. We need to see what happens going forward."

He went on to say, "If necessary, we can postpone the tournament by a year and hold it in 2028," while adding, "For now, however, we are monitoring the situation and everything is proceeding as scheduled."

While showing caution regarding a postponement, he left the door open to the possibility.

In Saudi Arabia, King Khalid International Airport in the capital city of Riyadh was struck on the 10th of local time by a missile attack suspected to be carried out by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, leaving 13 people dead and around 300 injured. The following day, an unidentified projectile hit the airport terminal, causing further casualties.

As security concerns persist, including loud consecutive explosion sounds heard right in the middle of downtown Riyadh, questions have been raised over the potential disruption of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which is scheduled to kick off next January.

The Asian Cup is slated to take place from January 7 to February 5 next year across three Saudi cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.

Major sports events originally planned to be held locally have already faced consecutive disruptions.

The Six Kings Slam, a premier tennis event scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from the 21st to the 24th, has been abruptly postponed to December 27–30 of this year.

Additionally, FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation announced on this day that the video football gaming tournament "FIFAe Finals 2026," which was scheduled to be held in Jeddah from the 16th to the 25th, has been postponed.

In a statement explaining the background behind the postponement, the tournament organizers said, "This decision comes after evaluating the recent regional security situation and its impact on the logistical preparations required to host the event," adding that specific details such as new dates will be announced at a later time.

Prior to the tournament postponement, Japan and Brazil had already withdrawn their national teams from participating.

Furthermore, the Saudi Pro League has postponed a total of three matches, including a game featuring Al Nassr, the team of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo.

The matches between Al Hilal and Al Riyadh, and Al Ittihad and Al Shabab, have been pushed back to December 19, while the Al Ahli versus Al Nassr match was rescheduled to March 6, 2027.

As the regular hosting of the Asian Cup becomes uncertain, it is also impacting the tournament preparations of participating nations.

South Korea, for instance, had been pursuing two away friendly matches in Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, during the November FIFA international match window to prepare its national team for the Asian Cup.

Moreover, if the Asian Cup is postponed, the national team's interim managerial setup under Roberto Moreno (Spain) could conclude with the November international matches.

The Korea Football Association signed a contract with manager Moreno through November 27, which includes a clause stipulating that his tenure could be extended through next year's Asian Cup depending on the team's performance across six international matches held from September to November.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.