Saudi Arabia has insisted that preparations for next January's Asian Cup remain on schedule, after AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa acknowledged that the tournament could be pushed back to 2028 amid ongoing attacks by Yemeni-based Houthi rebels.
In remarks reported by AFP, Al Khalifa told reporters in Zurich earlier this week that the continental showpiece could be moved "if we need to," but that any such decision wouldn't need to be made until late November. The tournament is scheduled to commence on January 7 and run through to February 5, with games taking place across Jeddah, Riyadh and Al-Khobar.
Multiple sites across the Kingdom have come under recent Houthi missile and drone attacks, with a Saudi-led coalition, per Al Jazeera, reporting that the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has sustained at least 20 strikes over the past 11 days, alongside dozens of other airports, oil facilities and ports. The coalition says that 17 people have been killed in the strikes, with more than 300 injured.
But in a statement released on Friday, the local organising committee (LOC) for the Asian Cup insisted that its preparations remained on schedule.
"The [LOC] for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 confirms that preparations remain on schedule for the tournament," the statement read. "This work continues in close coordination with the [AFC] and other relevant stakeholders.
"Preparations across all organisational and operational areas are progressing according to the approved schedule, including work on venues, facilities and supporting services. The focus remains on delivering a world-class tournament experience for participating teams, fans and media from across Asia, while bringing the continent together through football.
"The LOC remains committed to keeping preparations on track and ensuring the necessary resources are in place to deliver a tournament that reflects Saudi Arabia's ambitions and standards as a host. At the same time, it will continue to monitor developments relevant to the tournament and ensure the appropriate conditions are in place for its successful delivery."
Concerns have increasingly been raised across Asia in light of the recent attacks, with AAP reporting on Tuesday about the possibility of postponing the tournament, as well as safety concerns raised by the Australian players' union, the PFA.
On Thursday, South Korea's players' union added their concerns, with its president Lee Keun-ho, in remarks reported by Yonhap News Agency, indicating "serious concern regarding the safety of all players participating in the Asian Cup".
The Palestinian Football Association, however, expressed its support, affirming "its confidence in [Saudi Arabia's] ability to host," in a statement.
And when questioned on the tournament's future, Asian football's chief said the organisation was in no rush to come to a decision.
"We can wait until the end of November," Al Khalifa told reporters.
"Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region, and it is a question of seeing what happens," he added.
"If we need to make a decision, then we will, but we could move back a year to 2028 if we need to.
"But at the moment we are monitoring the situation, and everything is on schedule."
Multiple sporting events have already been affected by the latest rise in hostilities in the region, with Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, who are coached by Ange Postecoglou, having their Asian Champions League Elite win over Uzbek side Neftchi Fergana delayed by an hour after the interception of a missile fired towards Riyadh.
A further three Saudi Pro League fixtures have been moved to later dates, while the tennis Six Kings Slam has been pushed from October to December and the FIFAe Finals 2026 have been postponed indefinitely. On Friday, the Saudi International golf tournament set to take place at Riyadh Golf Club was postponed, while AusCycling withdrew its team from the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships set for Riyadh.
For now, however, the WBC super middleweight world title bout between Christian Mbilli and Canelo Alvarez scheduled for Halloween remains on schedule, as does WWE's Crown Jewel event set for November 7.