Asian Cup to Go Ahead in Saudi Arabia in January-February Despite Security Concerns

The 2027 AFC Asian Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia as scheduled in January and February despite regional instability and security concerns.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) released the tournament schedule on Monday. The tournament will begin on January 7 with hosts Saudi Arabia taking on Palestine in Riyadh.

The 72,000-seat King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh will host both the opening match and the final on February 5.

The 29-day tournament will feature 51 matches across eight venues: five in Riyadh, two in Jeddah and one in Al Khobar.

However, concerns remain over the security situation. Several football federations among the 24 participating nations have expressed concerns about holding the tournament amid regional tensions.

On Monday, organisers of the Dakar Rally announced that the 2027 event would be moved out of Saudi Arabia because of the recent situation in the Middle East.

Last week, Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said the security situation in Saudi Arabia could make it difficult to hold the Asian Cup as scheduled.

“From what I have learned from the media, the situation is still unsafe. So I do not think it would be easy to hold the Asian Cup there at this moment,” Miyamoto said.

He added that Saudi authorities had assured organisers during a meeting that the safety of players, supporters and everyone involved would be their top priority.

Several major sporting events in Saudi Arabia have already been cancelled or postponed amid increased attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

On Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition intercepted several missiles and projectiles launched from Yemen. Saudi Civil Defence said debris from two intercepted ballistic missiles fell in Jeddah, Taif, Rabigh and Wadi Al-Mughammas in Makkah Province.

In recent weeks, Houthi missile and drone attacks have targeted civilian and military facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh authorities announced on Saturday night that international flights would resume from Terminal 2 of King Khalid International Airport, while Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights.

Airport operations had previously been partially suspended following Houthi attacks. An attack on October 10 killed 13 people and injured more than 100 others.

Earlier this month, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said the Asian Cup could be postponed until 2028 if necessary. However, the local organising committee has maintained that the tournament should go ahead as scheduled.

Defending champions Qatar will begin their title defence against Thailand on January 11. Japan will face Indonesia on the same day.

South Korea will play Yemen, Australia will face Singapore, and Iran will take on China.

The group stage will end on January 20, with the knockout stage beginning on January 22.

Saudi Arabia will host the Asian Cup for the first time, seven years before it is scheduled to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.