The war postpones the draw for the Asian Cup finals

The draw for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup finals, which was scheduled for next April 11 in Saudi Arabia, has been postponed indefinitely due to the war in the Middle East, according to what the Confederation of Nations announced on Thursday.

The AFC did not set a new date for the draw, at a time when Asian club competitions witnessed turmoil due to the American-Israeli war on Iran and its repercussions on the Gulf states.

The draw was scheduled to take place on April 11 in Riyadh. But it was postponed “after careful consideration to ensure the attendance of all concerned parties without obstacles,” according to the AFC statement.

The same statement added: “Any updates regarding the new arrangements for the final draw will be announced in due course.”

The 19th edition of the Asian Cup is scheduled to be held between January 7 and February 5, 2027.

Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Khobar will host the tournament matches, in which the 24 participating teams will be divided into six groups of four teams each.