The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has canceled the draw of the 2027 Asian Cup finals, which was initially planned in Riyadh on April 11.
The AFC said in a statement on Thursday that the event will be kept on hold until a later date so as to have the full presence of all concerned parties. The decision was made against the backdrop of escalating regional tensions, which have been the cause of the interruption of several sporting events in the Middle East.
The unrest stems from the recent clashes between the United States and Israel, with the whole region being affected in terms of travel and logistics.
Saudi Arabia will be the venue of a 24-team competition for the first time, with the final qualification round having been wrapped up only recently.
Qatar football team, champions in the last edition, were the first to qualify for the tournament, as were other traditional heavyweights: the Japan football team, the South Korea football team, Iran football team, the Australia football team, the Jordan football team, and the Uzbekistan football team.
After assuring that the scheduled April 11 draw in Riyadh will no longer take place, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) stated that the final stages of the Asian Champions League Elite are going ahead as planned in Jeddah from April 13 to 26 and club competitions in the region will be uninterrupted.
