Saudi Arabia postpones Asian Cup until December 2027 due to Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia announced this Tuesday the postponement of the Asian Football Cup of 2027, which will finally be held between December 23 of that year to January 21, 2028, instead of the dates initially planned, due to the attacks of the Houthi rebels of Yemen against the kingdom.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed that, after coordinating with the Local Organizing Committee and the Saudi Football Federation (SAFF), “the next edition, originally scheduled to take place from January 7 to February 5, 2027, has been postponed to take place from December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028,” the organizations indicated in a statement.

The Organizing Committee reaffirmed “that it continues with preparations, in close coordination” with the Asian Confederation and all interested parties “to deliver an exceptional edition of the tournament that reflects the position of the kingdom and meets the aspirations of football fans throughout Asia.” Saudi Arabia had until now insisted that it was maintaining preparations to host the tournament, despite the postponement of other major events in the kingdom.

This decision adds to the long list of sporting and cultural events that the kingdom has canceled or postponed, such as the Dakar or the rally in Jeddah, as well as Riyadh Fashion Week, the MDLBEAST Soundstorm festival and the Red Sea Film Festival, due to attacks by Yemeni insurgents, who continue to launch attacks against the country, including airports.