KUALA LUMPUR, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur —
The Asian Football Confederation has postponed the 2027 Asian Cup by almost a year because of the conflict in the Middle East and security concerns in Saudi Arabia.
The AFC issued a statement Tuesday saying that, after extensive consultations with Saudi organizers, it had decided to push the tournament kickoff back from Jan. 7 to Dec. 23.
The organizing committee “approved rescheduling the flagship national team tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions,” the AFC said in a statement.
The new dates — Dec. 23, 2027 to Jan. 21, 2028 — will be submitted to FIFA for approval.
