Saudi Arabia Sticks to January Start for 2027 Asian Cup Despite Security Fears

Saudi Arabia is pressing ahead with plans to stage the 2027 Asian Cup in January and February, even as attacks on the kingdom and wider regional instability have cast doubt over the event. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) published the full tournament schedule on Monday.

The competition will begin on January 7 in Riyadh, where the hosts face Palestine in a Group A match. The city's 72,000-seat King Fahd Sports City Stadium will stage that opener and also the final on February 5.

Across the 29-day event, 51 matches will be spread over eight venues. Five are in Riyadh, two in Jeddah and one in Al-Khobar.

Even with the schedule confirmed, the tournament's future is still being questioned. Several of the 24 participating federations have voiced concerns about security in the region. Earlier on Monday, organisers of the Dakar Rally announced that the 2027 race would be moved out of Saudi Arabia because of "recent developments in the region".

Last week, Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said the security picture made it hard to see the tournament going ahead as 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," he said. He added that he had just met the Saudi side, who told him that the safety of players, fans and all attendees was their top priority.

Several major sporting events in the kingdom have already been cancelled or postponed as Yemen's Houthis escalate their attacks. On Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition intercepted a barrage of projectiles from Yemen aimed at cities across the country. Saudi Civil Defence said shrapnel from two intercepted ballistic missiles, suspected to have been launched by the Houthis, fell in Jeddah, Taif, Rabigh and Wadi Al-Mughammas in Mecca province.

The kingdom has endured waves of Houthi missile and drone attacks in recent weeks, hitting civilian and military infrastructure. Flights from Riyadh's airport were suspended after the strikes, including one on October 10 that killed 13 people and wounded hundreds. Riyadh said late on Saturday that international flights from King Khalid International Airport would restart on Sunday from Terminal 2, with Terminal 1 reserved for domestic services.

AFC chief Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said this month that delaying the championship until 2028 was possible if required. The local organising committee, however, has said it is keeping to the original timetable.

On the pitch, defending champions Qatar open their title defence against Thailand on January 11, the same day Japan meet Indonesia. South Korea will face Yemen, Australia will play Singapore and Iran will take on China in their first games. The group stage ends on January 20, and the knockout rounds start on January 22.

The event will be the first Asian Cup hosted by Saudi Arabia, which will also stage the 2034 World Cup, seven years later.