The Asian Football Confederation announced on Tuesday that the 2027 Asian Cup football tournament in Saudi Arabia will be moved from January to December.
The Asian Football Confederation also noted that "substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions" necessitated the change. The Asian Football Confederation said the new dates for the tournament will be presented to FIFA for approval. Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al Khobar are the Saudi cities designated to host the month-long event.
Yasser Al-Misehal, head of the local organising committee for the Asian Cup, said Saudi Arabia had been fully prepared to host the tournament as scheduled.
"We will continue our work with the same momentum leading up to the tournament’s new dates in December 2027," Al-Misehal said. Saudi Arabia has won the Asian Cup three times. The Asian Cup traditionally takes place in odd-numbered years, but it was planned to switch to an even-year cycle starting with the 2032 tournament.
The Houthis said on Monday they had launched drones towards Dammam airport. Other sporting events in the country have faced changes, including the indefinite postponement of the Saudi International by golf’s Asian Tour. Cycling’s Urban World Championships were also cancelled.
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez beat Christian Mbilli in their world title bout in Riyadh on Saturday.
