Japan FA President Says Hosting Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia Next January Would Not Be Easy, as Organizers Hold to Schedule

Since Houthi missile strikes hit Riyadh's international airport earlier this month, the sporting calendar in Saudi Arabia has been steadily dismantled, and today, Oct. 23, the head of one of Asia's biggest football federations said the 2027 Asian Cup is now in question.

Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto spoke to reporters at the Asian Football Confederation's extraordinary congress in Tokyo. "Based on what I've learned from the news, the situation is still unsafe, so at this point, I don't think it would be easy to hold the [Asian] Cup there," he said.

Miyamoto said he had just met with the Saudi side. They told him their top priority is the safety of players, fans and everyone attending. They also said they would work with the AFC to decide whether the tournament can go ahead, and that it would take some time.

Organizers say the schedule stands

The tournament is set for Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027, with 24 national teams.

AFC president Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa said last week in Zurich, where the FIFA Council was meeting, that there is no rush. "We can wait until the end of November," he said. "Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region and it is question of seeing what happens."

He added that a one-year move to 2028 is possible: "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."

The local organising committee then issued its own statement. "Preparations across all organisational and operational areas are progressing according to the approved schedule, including work on venues, facilities and supporting services," it said. It added that it "will continue to monitor developments relevant to the tournament and ensure the appropriate conditions are in place for its successful delivery."

So the host says it is on track. The Japanese federation president says that is hard to square with conditions on the ground. The AFC has not chosen between them.

What the attacks have already cost

The Houthi strike on Riyadh's airport killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300. Since then:

• Golf's Asian Tour postponed the Saudi International indefinitely.
• Cycling's Urban World Championships were cancelled.
• The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis event in Riyadh was moved from October to December.
• FIFA postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026 video game competition in Jeddah, scheduled for Oct. 16 to 25, to an unspecified date, after the Japan Football Association declined to send a team.
• Triathlon Japan suspended sending elite athletes to four Middle East events, including the Jeddah World Triathlon Cup, citing risk information from Japan's Foreign Ministry.

The World Rally Championship is also reported to have cancelled its Saudi Arabia Rally finale, which had been scheduled for Nov. 12 to 15.

On the pitch, Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League Elite match against Naft Tehran in Riyadh was delayed by an hour on Monday, Oct. 12, after a Saudi-led military coalition said it intercepted a Houthi missile fired toward the capital.

The exposure is concentrated in Riyadh

Five of the Asian Cup's eight venues are in Riyadh. The capital would host 31 matches, including the opener between Saudi Arabia and Palestine on Jan. 7 and the final on Feb. 5.

Al Khobar, on the Persian Gulf, would host seven matches, including Australia against Singapore on Jan. 9. The eastern part of the country has also been threatened during this year's Iran-US conflict.

There is little room to move the tournament within the country if the capital stays under threat.

Players and federations are hedging

Beau Busch, president of FIFPRO Asia/Oceania and chief executive of Professional Footballers Australia, said "the safety of players, fans and staff must be the priority and the central consideration in the planning and delivery of the AFC Asian Cup." He said risk assessments are conducted before every camp and will remain critical as the security situation shifts.

Football Australia said it is "closely monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia" and that risk assessment will be a key focus ahead of January. The Socceroos are due to travel to the region in November for matches against Qatar in Doha and Jordan in Amman.

South Korea has raised its travel alert for Saudi Arabia and is reviewing alternative arrangements for planned November friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to local reports.

Japan's national team, under manager Hajime Moriyasu, still plans to take part. No postponement has been finalized and no participating nation has withdrawn.

Miyamoto's comments carry weight because Japan is one of the tournament's largest football nations and the head of its federation is now on record saying the current conditions make the January dates hard to hold. His remarks also fit with the Saudi side's own acknowledgment that a decision will take time.

The next marker is the end of November, the window Salman set for a fresh assessment. Whether the AFC keeps January 2027 or moves to 2028 will hinge on whether Houthi attacks on Riyadh continue between now and then.