Asian Cup 2027 schedule: dates, venues and kick-off times
The AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 runs from Thursday, January 7 to Friday, February 5, 2027 — 51 matches in 30 days across Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. The opening match (Saudi Arabia v Palestine) and the final are both at the King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh. This page gives the round-by-round dates from the AFC's official match schedule, the standard 19:00 kick-off converted to the main fan time zones, and the group-stage dates for the seeded teams.
Updated
Round-by-round dates
| Round | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Group stage | January 7–20, 2027 | 36 matches; January 21 is a rest day |
| Round of 16 | January 22–25, 2027 | Two matches a day; rest days January 26–27 |
| Quarter-finals | January 28–29, 2027 | Two matches a day; rest days January 30–31 |
| Semi-finals | February 1–2, 2027 | February 1 at Aramco Stadium, Khobar; February 2 at King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah |
| Final | Friday, February 5, 2027 | King Fahd Sports City Stadium, Riyadh |
The AFC published the full match schedule on May 13, 2026, four days after the draw. The group stage takes 14 days with two or three matches a day, followed by a single rest day before the round of 16. Two rest days separate each knockout round, and there are two clear days between the semi-finals and the final. There is no third-place play-off at the Asian Cup.
Opening match and final
The tournament opens on January 7, 2027 with hosts Saudi Arabia against Palestine at the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, kicking off at 20:00 Arabia Standard Time — an hour later than the tournament's standard slot. The final on Friday, February 5 is at the same stadium. Saudi Arabia are hosting the Asian Cup for the first time; they have won it three times (1984, 1988 and 1996) and lost the 2000 and 2007 finals.
Kick-off times by time zone
The AFC has confirmed a 19:00 AST (UTC+3) kick-off for almost all 51 matches, with the opening match at 20:00 AST. Saudi Arabia does not use daylight saving time, and the tournament falls in January, so the conversions below are fixed for the whole tournament.
| City / zone | Standard 19:00 AST kick-off | Opening match, 20:00 AST |
|---|---|---|
| Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar (AST, UTC+3) | 19:00 | 20:00 |
| Delhi (IST, UTC+5:30) | 21:30 | 22:30 |
| Tokyo, Seoul (UTC+9) | 01:00 next day | 02:00 next day |
| Sydney, Melbourne (AEDT, UTC+11) | 03:00 next day | 04:00 next day |
| London (GMT) | 16:00 | 17:00 |
| New York (EST, UTC−5) | 11:00 | 12:00 |
| Los Angeles (PST, UTC−8) | 08:00 | 09:00 |
Fans in Australia, Japan and South Korea therefore watch in the early hours: a 19:00 Riyadh kick-off is 03:00 in Sydney and 01:00 in Tokyo and Seoul the following morning. In India it is 21:30 IST, and in the United Kingdom 16:00 GMT.
Group-stage dates for the seeded teams
| Team (group) | Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia (A) | Jan 7 v Palestine (opening match, Riyadh) | Jan 12 v Oman | Jan 17 v Kuwait |
| Japan (F) | Jan 11 v Indonesia | Jan 16 v Thailand | Jan 20 v Qatar |
| South Korea (E) | Jan 10 v Yemen | Jan 15 v Vietnam | Jan 20 v UAE |
| Australia (D) | Jan 9 v Singapore | Jan 14 v Iraq | Jan 19 v Tajikistan |
| Iran (C) | Jan 9 v China | Jan 13 v Kyrgyzstan | Jan 18 v Syria |
| Uzbekistan (B) | Jan 8 v Jordan | Jan 12 v North Korea | Jan 17 v Bahrain |
All six groups are listed on the groups page. The AFC's schedule allocates every match to one of the eight stadiums; this page will add the stadium for each fixture once the AFC's per-match venue list is cross-checked, so that no venue is published here on the strength of a single reading of the schedule grid.
Where the knockout rounds are played
Riyadh's King Fahd Sports City Stadium hosts a round-of-16 tie and a quarter-final as well as the opener and the final. The two semi-finals are split between the coasts: February 1 at the new Aramco Stadium in Khobar, on the Gulf, and February 2 at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, on the Red Sea. Aramco Stadium is used in every round except the final. Capacities and the full venue list are on the stadiums page.
Asian Cup 2027 schedule FAQ
When does the Asian Cup 2027 start and finish?
It starts on Thursday, January 7, 2027 with Saudi Arabia v Palestine in Riyadh and finishes with the final on Friday, February 5, 2027, also in Riyadh.
What time do Asian Cup 2027 matches kick off?
19:00 Arabia Standard Time (UTC+3) for almost every match; the opening match is at 20:00 AST. That is 16:00 in London, 21:30 in Delhi, 01:00 in Tokyo and 03:00 in Sydney the next morning.
When is the Asian Cup 2027 round of 16?
January 22–25, 2027. The quarter-finals are on January 28–29, the semi-finals on February 1–2 and the final on February 5.
Where is the Asian Cup 2027 final?
King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh, on Friday, February 5, 2027.
Where are the Asian Cup 2027 semi-finals?
February 1 at Aramco Stadium in Khobar and February 2 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, according to the AFC match schedule.
Related
Details marked TBC had not been confirmed by the organiser when this page was last updated (September 10, 2026).