AFC reschedules Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia amid regional conflict

Sport | AFC Asian Cup AFC reschedules Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia amid regional conflict Start date for AFC Cup 2027 moved from January to December due to ongoing Houthi attacks on host nation Saudi Arabia. Listen Listen (2 mins) Save Share AFC reschedules Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia amid regional conflict on social media share-nodes Share facebook x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Saudi Arabia was due to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027 from January 7 to February 5 but the tournament will now begin in December 2027 [Muhammad Hamed/Reuters] By Hafsa Adil Published On 3 Nov 2026 3 Nov 2026 Football’s upcoming Asian Cup 2027 tournament in Saudi Arabia has been rescheduled from a January start to December due to the ongoing conflict in the region, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed. The 24-team competition, which was due to get under way in Riyadh on January 7, 2027, will now begin on December 23, the AFC said in a statement on Tuesday. Asian football’s governing body announced the decision following “extensive discussions and close consultation with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF)”. The tournament will now run from December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028.