The upcoming Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia could reportedly be postponed to 2028 following a sustained wave of attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthis against the kingdom. The major continental tournament faces severe logistical and security uncertainties as regional tensions escalate sharply, throwing the sporting calendar into question.

Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa stated that the competition would be rescheduled “if we need to,” while claiming that organisers are in “no hurry” to finalize their stance. Al Khalifa noted that officials can afford to wait until late November, arguing that conditions in the volatile Middle East can shift unpredictably.

The tournament was originally slated to kick off on January 7 across Jeddah, Riyadh, and al-Khobar. However, the Saudi regime has recently experienced dramatic escalations in security threats. Civil defense forces reportedly intercepted a missile near Riyadh, forcing a one-hour delay for Al-Nassr's Asian Champions League match involving Cristiano Ronaldo, alongside the postponement of several domestic fixtures.

The disruption has also bled into other high-profile events, including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition featuring Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, which was pushed back to December. International stakeholders are growing increasingly vocal, with Australian football officials closely monitoring developments and South Korean players' representatives sounding major alarm bells.

Lee Keun-ho, president of the Korea Professional Footballers Association, purportedly emphasized that ongoing military instability cannot be taken lightly, stating that “no tournament’s value can take precedence over the lives and safety of players and football fans.”

Source: www.aljazeera.com