Asian Cup postponed due to Middle East conflict

The Asian Cup has become the latest sporting event to be affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Organizers cite "exceptional circumstances" in Saudi Arabia, which has seen several Houthi attacks of late. A little over two months before it was set to kick off, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has postponed its flagship international football tournament in the wake of recent deadly attacks on host country, Saudi Arabia .

Instead of January 7, 2027, the tournament will now kick off on December 23 and end on January 21, 2028. The postponement follows delays and cancellations of a number of sporting events in the region, including a Formula One race , the men's and women's tennis finals, the 2027 Dakar Rally and disruption to Asia's marquee continental club football tournament, the AFC Champions League Elite. Saudi Arabia hosted, and won, the Gulf Cup last month , but there had already been much talk about whether the much larger Asian Cup could go ahead.

It was scheduled to feature 24 teams playing matches in eight venues across Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar.