AFC postpones 2027 Asian Cup to December

The Asian Football Confederation has postponed the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, moving the 24-team tournament from January 7-February 5, 2027, to December 23, 2027-January 21, 2028. The revised dates still require approval from FIFA, the AFC said. The AFC organising committee said exceptional circumstances arising from regional developments, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions, made it necessary to reschedule the competition in the interests of participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders. It did not attribute the decision to any single incident. The tournament had been due to take place in Saudi Arabia early next year. The AFC’s decision shifts its schedule by nearly a year and into the turn of 2028. The new dates are proposed, not final, pending FIFA’s approval. The announcement followed heightened concern about security and travel in the region. A strike on Riyadh’s international airport last month killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, according to reports in the source material. Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility for that attack. The AFC cited broader regional circumstances in explaining...