Asian Cup 2027 moved to 23 December 2027, Saudi Pro League postpones matchweek 13

Update, 3 November 2026: the AFC Asian Cup 2027 will no longer start on 7 January. The 24-team tournament in Saudi Arabia has moved to 23 December 2027 to 21 January 2028, after the attacks on the kingdom in October, Al Jazeera reported. It had been due to run from 7 January to 5 February 2027.

Saudi Pro League postpones matchweek 13

The first knock-on effect came on Tuesday. The Saudi Pro League postponed all of matchweek 13 of the 2026-27 Roshn Saudi League, two days before it was due to start, calling it part of a wider review of the season's fixture list now that the Asian Cup dates give the domestic calendar more room, Business Recorder reported. The league said new dates for the round will be announced once that review is finished.

That means no league football this week for Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, the reigning champions, or for Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and the rest. Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League Elite match against Al Wasl in Riyadh had already been postponed last month over the threat of missile attacks.

Why the Asian Cup moved

• A strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in October killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300; Yemen's Houthi movement claimed it. Further airport attacks that week killed at least five more people, Al Jazeera said.
• Saudi organisers had insisted on 26 October that the tournament would start on time (our earlier report is below), but the security situation did not settle.
• The new window keeps the tournament in Saudi Arabia but pushes it back by almost a year, straddling the new year of 2028.

What it means for Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia

Pakistan are not playing, but millions of Pakistanis live and work in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar, the three host cities. Saudi Arabia is two hours behind Pakistan, so an 8pm kick-off in Riyadh is 10pm PKT. Anyone travelling should keep an eye on airport and security advisories; check the Saudi riyal rate before sending money home.

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Earlier: the schedule published on 26 October (no longer in force)

The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will kick off on 7 January in Riyadh with hosts Saudi Arabia against Palestine, under a schedule the Asian Football Confederation published on Monday, Al Jazeera reported. The final is on 5 February, also at the 72,000-seat King Fahd Sports City Stadium.

The announcement ends, for now, talk of moving the tournament. Earlier this month AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said it could slip "back a year to 2028 if we need to", and the local organising committee answered that preparations remained "on schedule", AFP reported.

The schedule

• Opening match: Saudi Arabia vs Palestine, Thursday 7 January, Riyadh (Group A)
• 11 January: Qatar, the defending champions, vs Thailand; Japan vs Indonesia
• Other openers: South Korea vs Yemen, Australia vs Singapore, Iran vs China
• Group stage ends: 20 January
• Knockouts begin: 22 January
• Final: 5 February, Riyadh

There are 51 matches over 29 days at eight stadiums: five in Riyadh, two in Jeddah and one in Al Khobar. Saudi Arabia is hosting the Asian Cup for the first time, seven years before it stages the 2034 World Cup. Saudi Arabia is two hours behind Pakistan, so an evening kick-off at 8pm in Riyadh would be 10pm PKT.

Why there were doubts

Saudi Arabia has faced weeks of Houthi missile and drone attacks. A strike on 10 October killed 13 people and wounded hundreds, and flights from Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport were suspended before resuming from Terminal 2 on Sunday. Several sporting events in the kingdom have been postponed or cancelled, and on Monday the Dakar Rally said its 2027 edition would leave Saudi Arabia.

Some of the 24 federations are still uneasy. Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said last week it would not be easy to hold the tournament there if the situation stays as it is, while the Saudi side told him safety was its top priority.

What it means for Pakistanis

Pakistan are not in the tournament, but millions of Pakistanis live and work in Saudi Arabia, many in Riyadh and Jeddah, and January's matches will play out in their cities. Anyone planning a trip should watch for travel advisories; check the Saudi riyal rate and our report on Saudi Arabia's new Nitaqat minimum wage.