Asian Cup 2027 Opens Jan 7 in Riyadh
The AFC confirmed the 2027 Asian Cup schedule on October 26, with Saudi Arabia facing Palestine in the opening match in Riyadh on January 7.
The 19th edition of the tournament will run from January 7 to February 5, 2027. It is the first time Saudi Arabia is hosting the Asian Cup, and it comes seven years before the country stages the 2034 World Cup. The opener will be played at the King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh, which holds around 72,000 people. Kick-off is at 8:00 PM local time, which is 10:30 PM IST. The final will be played at the same stadium on February 5, also at 8:00 PM.
A total of 24 teams will play 51 matches across eight stadiums in three cities. Five of the venues are in Riyadh, two are in Jeddah and one is in Al Khobar. The teams are split into six groups. The top two from each group advance, along with the four best third-placed sides.
The group stage ends on January 20. The round of 16 starts on January 22, and the quarter-finals follow on January 28 and 29. The semi-finals will be held on February 1 and 2.
Saudi Arabia are in Group A with Kuwait, Oman and Palestine. Among the other opening fixtures, South Korea play Yemen, Australia face Singapore, and Iran meet China. Defending champions Qatar begin their title defence against Thailand on January 11, the same day Japan play Indonesia. The UAE, in Group E, open against Vietnam on January 11 at the Imam Mohammed Bin Saud University Stadium in Riyadh.
The schedule was released at a time of uncertainty. Several sporting events in Saudi Arabia, including tennis, motorsport and football fixtures, have been postponed or cancelled amid regional security concerns. AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had said earlier that a postponement to 2028 remained possible if required. A top Japanese football official also said last week that the security situation would make it difficult for the tournament to go ahead as scheduled. With the schedule and venues now officially confirmed, the AFC has signalled that preparations are continuing as planned.