FIFA postpones FIFAe Finals in Saudi Arabia following attacks
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The FIFAe Finals 2026 video game tournament was scheduled to take place in Jeddah from Oct 16 to 25.
PHOTO: REUTERS
RIYADH – FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation have postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026 scheduled to take place in Jeddah from Oct 16 to 25, said the organisers following recent attacks on Saudi Arabia.
A strike on Riyadh’s international airport on Oct 10 killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, with Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claiming responsibility for the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
“The decision follows an assessment of recent developments in the region and their impact on the logistical arrangements required to stage the tournament,” organisers of the global football video game tournament said on Oct 15.
“Further announcements on the FIFAe Finals will be communicated in due course.”
Japan and Brazil withdrew their e-sports teams on Oct 10 after assessing the situation in the host country.
Saudi Arabia is also hosting the Asian Cup, with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) saying it remains open to delaying the event until 2028 if necessary.
The continental tournament is scheduled to kick off on Jan 7, 2027, across venues in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar, a key test ahead of the kingdom’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup.
AFC president Salman Ebrahim Al Khalifa said it was in “no hurry to make a decision” on whether to postpone the tournament or not.
“We can wait until the end of November. Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region, and it is a question of seeing what happens,” he told reporters in Zurich, where the FIFA Council meeting took place.
“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 Korea Football Association (KFA) said it was in communication with the AFC.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia and plan to continue discussions regarding overall developments,” it said in a statement.
The previous Asian Cup was delayed by a year after China withdrew as hosts because of Covid-19 restrictions, with Qatar stepping in to stage the tournament in early 2024.
The security uncertainty has cast a shadow over other sporting events in the kingdom, with the Six Kings Slam tennis tournament moved from Oct 21-24 to Dec 27-30.
“The decision reflects Riyadh Season’s commitment to delivering sporting events to the highest standards, following an assessment of the organisational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament and their potential impact on the quality of the audience experience,” organisers said in a statement on Oct 14.
Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz were set to take part in the event. Defending champion Jannik Sinner withdrew because of injury.
The tournament draws the world’s top players because of the record prize money on offer, with Sinner beating Alcaraz in the 2025 final to secure a reported US$6 million (S$7.7 million).
In golf, the Asian Tour said it is monitoring developments ahead of November’s Saudi International in Riyadh. REUTERS