The Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia could be postponed until 2028 if security conditions deteriorate, the president of the Asian Football Confederation has said.
The tournament is scheduled to begin on January 7, with matches due to be played in Jeddah, Riyadh and Al-Khobar. AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said organisers were monitoring the situation and were not rushing to decide whether the competition should proceed as planned.
“We can wait until the end of November,” Sheikh Salman told reporters in Zurich when asked about the tournament’s future.
He added: “Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region, and it is a question of seeing what happens.
“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.”
Saudi Arabia has come under a series of attacks by Yemen’s Houthis in recent days, according to the report, in an escalation that has raised concerns over the safety of players and supporters.
An Asian Champions League match involving Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr was delayed by an hour on Monday after Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said it had intercepted a missile fired towards Riyadh. Three domestic matches, including one involving Al-Nassr, were also postponed this week.
The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament, which was due to feature Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, has been moved to the end of December.
Australia, one of the 24 nations due to compete at the Asian Cup, said it was “closely monitoring” the situation in Saudi Arabia.
The organisation representing South Korean players also expressed concern on Thursday about the safety of those taking part in the tournament.
Lee Keun-ho, president of the Korea Professional Footballers Association, said: “The ongoing military tensions and security instability in the Middle East are issues that cannot be taken lightly.”
He added: “No tournament’s value can take precedence over the lives and safety of players and football fans.”
