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The 2027 AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia, originally scheduled to kick off in early January next year, has been postponed to December of the same year due to instability in the Middle East. The photo shows the Asian Cup trophy. /Courtesy of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

The 2027 AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia, originally scheduled to take place in January and February next year, has been postponed to December of the same year amid instability in the Middle East.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on its official website Tuesday (Korea time) that "the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, originally scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027, will instead be held from Dec. 23, 2027, to Jan. 21, 2028."

"Exceptional difficulties have arisen in organizing and staging the tournament as originally scheduled, making the postponement unavoidable in the interests of all stakeholders, including participating teams, officials and spectators," the AFC said. "The rescheduling was approved in light of the exceptional circumstances arising from the current situation in the Middle East, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions."

The decision was made following close discussions with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the tournament's Local Organising Committee (LOC), with approval from the Organising Committee for AFC Asian Cup. The revised tournament dates will be submitted to FIFA for final approval.

"We are grateful to the Saudi side for its commitment to preparing a tournament befitting Asia's premier national team competition," the AFC said. "We will continue to work with the organising committee, sponsors, broadcast partners and all other stakeholders to minimise the impact of the postponement and ensure a successful tournament."

Saudi Arabia, the host nation, had previously come under attack from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. The attacks destroyed facilities including Riyadh's international airport and energy-related infrastructure, causing casualties and creating conditions that made hosting an international sporting event impossible.

However, as recently as Oct. 26, just about a week earlier, the AFC had demonstrated its determination to hold the tournament as scheduled by announcing the match schedule. It ultimately reversed course as there appeared to be little prospect of the situation improving.

Meanwhile, the postponement is also expected to affect the appointment of a permanent head coach for South Korea's national football team. The Korea Football Association (KFA), which had been strongly considering extending interim head coach Robert Moreno's contract, set to expire at the end of this month, to coincide with the Asian Cup's originally scheduled January kickoff, now has more time following the postponement.

                                                                                                           Cho Seong-jun