Will AFC Asian Cup 2027 be postponed amid Houthi attacks and threats in Saudi Arabia?

Representative Image: Saudi Arabia’s organisers have said preparations are continuing according to schedule. Kick-off times and venues for all matches were finalised last week. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The upcoming edition of the AFC Asian Cup is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia between January 7 and February 5 next year.

Saudi Arabia, which will host the FIFA World Cup in 2034, will have an opportunity to use the Asian Cup as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, which has expanded to a 48-team showpiece from this year.

However, with the Houthis launching missiles and drone attacks on three Saudi airports — killing 22 people and injuring more than 380 others — the chances of the Asian Cup taking place in the Gulf nation look uncertain.

Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto expressed his doubts that the tournament will go ahead as originally planned.

“Based on what I’ve learned from the news, the situation is still unsafe, so at this point, I don’t think it would be easy to hold the (Asian) Cup there,” Miyamoto said at an AFC Congress last month.

Those comments came after AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa announced there was still time to monitor the situation before making any decisions about the tournament.

“We can wait until the end of November,” Salman said. “Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region, and it is a question of seeing what happens.

“If we need to make a decision, then we will, but we could move back a year to 2028 if we need to.”

Saudi organisers have said preparations are continuing according to schedule. Kick-off times and venues for all matches were finalised last week.