Waleed Al-Farraj says AFC Asian Cup 2027 postponement will ease Saudi football schedule

Saudi broadcaster Waleed Al-Farraj has welcomed the postponement of the AFC Asian Cup 2027, saying the decision will allow the Roshn Saudi League and other domestic competitions to recover from an intense schedule.

The Asian Football Confederation announced on Tuesday that the tournament, which had been scheduled to begin in January 2027, will instead start in December of the same year.

Al-Farraj said the 11-month delay would provide relief for everyone involved in Saudi football, including players, coaches, referees, supporters, media workers and those responsible for logistical services.

“Postponing the Asian Cup for 11 months has given Saudi football competitions an opportunity to catch their breath after the tremendous pressure suffered by players, coaches, referees, fans, the media and logistics officials in the league,” he wrote in a post on his personal X account.

He also criticised the frequency of matches during the current schedule.

“Playing a match every three days took away the enjoyment of the game, and quantity became more important than quality,” Al-Farraj added.

“Hopefully, this will be a positive thing. The league can breathe, the facilities can be completed normally and the state of emergency has ended. We can now work calmly.”

The Roshn Saudi League had already decided to postpone its 13th round, with the matches to be played at a later date following the AFC’s decision.

The postponement means there is now more room in the calendar, removing the need to continue placing matches under further pressure.