How sporting events are being impacted by Middle East conflict

- Published The 2027 Asian Cup is just the latest event to be postponed in the Middle East amid concerns about missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement. asserted

The 24-team tournament - Asia's version of the Euros - was scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February next year. asserted

The Asian Cup has now been delayed by almost a year, and will be held between 23 December, 2027 and 21 January, 2028. asserted

Sport in the region had already been heavily affected by the US-Iran conflict, which led to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends in April this year. asserted

Now the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi at the end of the year are also in doubt due to that ongoing situation and the current conflict involving the Houthis. asserted

If they are cancelled, F1 would have lost four of its 24 events this year. asserted

It is not just football and F1 that have been forced to cancel, reschedule or move high-profile events, and many more remain under threat. asserted

BBC Sport takes a look at the situation across the sports. asserted

The Saudi Pro League has, for the most part, managed to carry on as usual. asserted

Several domestic league games had to be postponed, including three fixtures last month as the situation escalated. asserted

The games were moved in the immediate aftermath of the attack on a major airport in Riyadh - though the SPL said they were switched "as a result of mandatory minimum rest periods between matches and to accommodate logistical requirements". asserted

Following the postponement of the Asian Cup, this weekend's full round of Saudi Pro League has been called off. The league once again has not attributed this to conflict in the region, instead saying the calendar would be recalibrated after the cancellation of the Asian Cup to achieve "a more balanced distribution of fixtures". asserted

The AFC Champions League has been affected as well. asserted

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kingsley Coman were among Al-Nassr's star players who did not to fly to Uzbekistan this week "given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved". asserted

Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates also opted not to fly to Saudi Arabia to play Al-Nassr, and the match will be rearranged. asserted

Meanwhile, the wife of Ollie Watkins, who plays for Riyadh-based Al-Hilal, posted on TikTok that she would be staying in the UK with their two children "until it calms down". asserted

"We've had a bit of a plot twist," said Ellie Watkins. asserted

"I have come back to the UK for a little bit. asserted

"There's just a little bit of conflict and things going on over in Saudi and we basically decided just to stay here. asserted

I felt like I needed to do that for the kids so there is some form of normality until we can get back out there and all be together." asserted

Other well-known stars playing in the country include Gabriel Martinelli, Tijjani Reijnders, Darwin Nunez, Ivan Toney, Alexandre Lacazette, Ruben Neves, Sadio Mane and Joao Felix. asserted

Formula 1 Andrew Benson, F1 Correspondent Formula 1 has a major dilemma about racing in the Middle East both at the end of this season and the beginning of next. asserted

Most pressingly, the 2026 season is due to end with races in Qatar on 27-29 November and Abu Dhabi on 4-6 December. asserted

As things stand, the sport is pressing ahead with plans to go to those races after being given security reassurances from various governmental sources that it should be safe. asserted

Should the situation in the Middle East deteriorate in the next week or so, they could be called off and replaced with a single event in Imola in Italy on the Abu Dhabi weekend. The 2027 season is scheduled to start in Bahrain on 12-14 March, with Saudi Arabia hosting on the following weekend. But as things stand between Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni Houthi separatists, that race could not go ahead, and is likely to be cancelled if nothing changes by December. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are linked by a causeway, at the Saudi end of which is a facility belonging to state oil company Aramco, which has been targeted by the Houthis, while it joins Bahrain close to the F1 track. uncertain

One option being discussed is to hold that race in Malaysia, as was done in October this year. asserted

Other motorsport The Dakar Rally was due to take place in Saudi Arabia in January but has been moved "following recent developments in the region". asserted

Now the 2027 edition will begin in Loule-Faro in Portugal and end in Marrakech in Morocco. asserted

Saudi Arabia had hosted the previous seven editions of Dakar, and the intention is to return in 2028. asserted

Rally Saudi Arabia, part of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship, which was scheduled for 12–15 November, has been cancelled. asserted

But MotoGP will still take place this weekend at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar, with three races left in the season. asserted

It will go ahead without the Yamaha team, which has been advised against travelling from Japan. asserted

The Six Kings Slam, which should have begun on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been postponed by two months. asserted

It is now scheduled to run from 27 December to 30 December at the ANB Arena, located about 31km away from the King Khalid International Airport, which was the target of an attack on 10 October that killed 13 people and injured 308 others. asserted

Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Learner Tien are due to compete. asserted

But the 2026 WTA Finals, this weekend's season-ending championship of the women's tour, will not take place in Saudi Arabia. asserted

A mutual agreement was reached to terminate a hosting agreement early, and it will instead take place at Indian Wells in the United States. asserted

Boxing Saudi Arabia regularly hosts title fights and high-profile bouts. asserted

Only last week, Mexican legend Canelo Alvarez reclaimed the WBC super middleweight championship against Christian Mbilli. But the whole of the card did not survive as Lindolfo Delgado withdrew from his IBF lightweight title fight against Arthur Biyarslanov over safety concerns. asserted

Next on the schedule is the Zuffa Boxing event, which will feature Carlos Adames against Welshman Gerome Warburton in Riyadh Season 13, on 14 November. asserted