ALKHOBAR: Saudi Arabia will still host the Asian Cup, but not when it planned to. The Asian Football Confederation announced on Tuesday that the tournament will now open on Dec. 23, nearly a year after its original Jan. 7 start, and run until Jan. 21, 2028, with the new dates still to be presented to FIFA for approval.

The tournament had been scheduled to run from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027, across Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar.

The AFC’s press release read: “Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organisation and delivery of the Competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders.”

The postponement follows weeks of speculation that began on Oct. 13, when Australian outlet AAP Sports reported fresh concerns over the tournament, as airports across Saudi Arabia were affected by attacks on the Kingdom. Local organizers told Arab News at the time that preparations remained in place.

Five Saudi Pro League games have been postponed since then because of logistical challenges — most notably Al-Ahli vs. Al-Nassr, with Al-Nassr facing a 12-hour road trip from Riyadh to Jeddah. AFC Champions League Elite matches have been less affected, with only Al-Nassr vs. Al-Wasl from Matchday 3 delayed to a future date.

For the Saudi national team, the delay comes less than four weeks after the national team won the Gulf Cup for the first time in 22 years. Momentum coming into the competition was high, especially with this being the first Asian Cup to take place in the Kingdom.

Georgios Donis’ side will now have almost a year to prepare, but the harder task will be keeping the belief the Gulf Cup gave them alive until a tournament that has just moved further away.