The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, originally scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, 2027, has been postponed due to a series of fatal attacks in the country. The new tournament dates are December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028. The AFC stated that this decision was made "in view of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including significant logistical complexities and travel disruptions."