Middle East conflict threatens Korea's Asian Cup preparations as Saudi sports ambitions hang in the balance

Escalating regional conflict in the Middle East is throwing Saudi Arabia’s next year’s Asian Cup into doubt, threatening both Korea’s preparations and the kingdom’s broader ambitions to become a global sports hub.

The tournament is currently scheduled to kick off on Jan. 7, 2027, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is pressing ahead with preparations while monitoring the situation through the end of November. If the safety of players and spectators cannot be guaranteed, however, a one-year postponement to 2028 has emerged as a possibility.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) had also been working to arrange two away friendlies next month as part of its preparations, one in Saudi Arabia and the other in Qatar.

It is now reportedly considering holding both matches in Qatar, though Qatar, like Saudi Arabia, is under a Level 3 travel advisory from the Korean government, which recommends that Korean nationals leave the country.

With concerns mounting over the safety of players, there are growing calls for the KFA to reconsider its entire schedule for acclimatizing to conditions in the region.

In Saudi Arabia itself, the conflict has already reached the pitch.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr waved a scarf in the colors of the Saudi Arabian flag after a match in Riyadh on Oct. 13. Rather than a victory celebration, the gesture seemed to convey a silent message: Stay calm and carry on with everyday life.

The match began an hour late after a security alert was issued just 15 minutes before kickoff. It took place two days after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked King Khalid International Airport, which left more than 300 people dead or injured.

When Ronaldo joined Al Nassr nearly four years ago, a match delayed by a security alert in Riyadh would have been unthinkable.

The escalating conflict has dealt a blow to Saudi Arabia's efforts to establish itself as the Middle East's leading sports hub, a plan that was built around the hosting a string of major international events. Saudi Arabia's PIF, led by the kingdom's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, has poured $51 billion into sports alone since 2016.

With 75 percent of its population under the age of 35, Saudi Arabia sought to use sports to reduce its dependence on oil, create jobs for young people and curb the spread of radical Islamism.

But as conflict engulfs the Middle East, the kingdom's ambitious sports strategy, fueled by vast amounts of oil wealth, is increasingly becoming a costly burden.

The Saudi International golf tournament on the Asian Tour, the Esports World Cup and the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition have all been postponed, while the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships have been canceled outright.

Plans to build stadiums for the 2034 FIFA World Cup are also facing uncertainty. There is speculation that construction plans for five stadiums, including Neom Stadium, which was to be built 350 meters (1,148 feet) above ground, could all be scaled back.

Even the 2029 Asian Winter Games, originally scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia, have already been moved to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Not to mention LIV Golf — the breakaway golf league backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) — is fighting for survival after the fund withdrew its financial support.

While much remains uncertain, including the Taeguk Warriors' final training plans and schedule, one thing is clear: In just one year, Saudi Arabia's standing in the global sports world has changed dramatically. Where it goes from here remains to be seen.

BY KIM YOUNG-JU, PARK LIN [[email protected]]