Skip to main content

Featured post

Rihanna & A$AP Rocky Don’t Need a Family Tradition To Make Holidays Special

How sporting events are being impacted by Middle East conflict


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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Football

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

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

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".

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".

The AFC Champions League has been affected as well.

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".

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.

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".

"We've had a bit of a plot twist," said Ellie Watkins. "I have come back to the UK for a little bit.

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

"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."

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.


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.

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

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.

There are, though, many people within the sport with misgivings about going.

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.

So Bahrain is also be in jeopardy.

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


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".

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

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

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

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

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


Tennis

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

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.

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

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

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


Boxing

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

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.

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.


WWE

The WWE Crown Jewel 2026 event will still take place this weekend, but at a new venue.

It was originally scheduled for the Kingdom Arena, before being switched to the ANB arena.

The reigning men's and women's world champions of WWE's Raw and SmackDown face each other.

Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Liv Morgan, Chelsea Green, Bron Breakker, Austin Theory, Penta, Je'Von Evans, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are on the bill.


Other sports impacted

The FIFAe Finals, an esports tournament series organised by Fifa, should have taken place in Jeddah last month but was cancelled.

This week's UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, for the world's leading riders in trials and BMX Freestyle, in Riyadh was called off too, with a decision due "on the sporting consequences of this announcement".

The PIF Saudi International event, the season finale of the Asian Tour, will not be held between 18-21 November at Riyadh Golf Club.

After "an assessment of the organisational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament" the decision was taken to call it off.

And on Tuesday, the Professional Triathletes Organisation said it was moving the Saudi Arabia T100 and World Triathlon Cup, in Jeddah, from the end of this month to 16-17 April.







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Madonna, Shakira & BTS to headline World Cup show

Madonna, Shakira and K-pop boy band BTS will co-headline the Super Bowl-style half-time show at this summer's World Cup final. The tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, concludes with the final in New Jersey on 19 July. The BBC understands the show will be 11 minutes long. There have been reports the show could last longer than 15 minutes, which the laws of the game say the interval should not exceed. The half-time show during last summer's Club World Cup final in the US between Chelsea and Paris St-Germain lasted more than 24 minutes. Pre-match performances at showpiece occasions such as the Champions League final have become commonplace, but this will be the first half-time show at a World Cup final. Colombian pop star Shakira is releasing her official World Cup song Dai Dai - an Italian phrase meaning "let's go" or "come on" and also featuring Nigerian singer Burna Boy - on Thursday. The 49-year-old H...

FIFA World Cup - Scores & Fixtures - Football - BBC Sport

Beyoncé's Beauty & Style Evolution

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, the Queen Bey. A performer of many accolades—including 35 Grammy Awards—Beyoncé is the most historic pop figure of the 21st century.  From unparalleled riffs to legendary performances and visual presentations—and of course, irreplaceable beauty—Beyoncé's first name, alone, is a household name.  As a third of Destiny’s Child, the lead singer had a star quality impossible to ignore. At a Giorgio Armani party at the Guggenheim in 2000, she paired bedazzled blue bottoms with green eyeshadow and a sweet pink lip.  Then, when B’Day first released in 2006 on Bey’s 25th birthday, her beauty and style identity has evolved since brown roots, hoops, and beaded ensembles of the ‘00s. In the 2010s, her Met Gala looks were the most anticipated of all. She’s spanned printed thigh-high boots and messy hairstyle as the gala’s chair in 2013; A mega-high ponytail and sheer crystal gown in 2015; and, a dramatic smoky eye with a skin-colored latex d...

Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Rise to Be Captured in New Show ‘215’

It looks like we’re going to get a new show based on the early life and career of legendary hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.   Produced by Will Smith ‘s Westbrook Studios, alongside The Malar Group, 215 (Philadelphia’s area code) will tell the story of teenage friends chasing a record deal as they try to make a name for themselves in Philadelphia’s growing hip-hop scene, according to Deadline . “Westbrook has always been focused on developing stories with strong characters, distinctive worlds and a clear point of view,” Terence Carter, president of television, Westbrook Studios told the outlet. “ 215 is especially meaningful to us because it draws from the rise of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and celebrates Philadelphia during such a defining era in the city’s late-’80s/early-’90s hip-hop scene. The Malar Group shares our approach to storytelling, and this partnership gives us the opportunity to build a slate together with intention, beginning w...

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Signs With The Weeknd Manager Wassim ‘SAL’ Slaiby's SALXCO & Amir ‘Cash’ Esmailian

Sean "Diddy" Combs   has hired manager  Wassim "Sal" Slaiby , best known for managing The Weeknd , Slaiby has confirmed to  Billboard . The Weeknd co-manager Amir "Cash" Esmailian has also been hired by Combs. Combs’ hiring of Slaiby and Esmailian follows the mogul's signing with WME in June, in a deal that also saw him partner with the agency to launch The Excellence Program, a virtual development program and resume database for aspiring entertainment executives from underrepresented communities. In May, Combs announced that he had officially changed his middle name  from “Diddy” to “Love” -- a moniker switch first revealed in 2017 -- though he is still commonly referred to as Diddy in the press. Slaiby, the founder and CEO of SALXCO and XO Records, also manages Doja Cat, French Montana, Bebe Rexha, Ty Dolla $ign  and Swedish House Mafia ,  who signed with him in June. Slaiby was named manager of the year by  Variety ...

'All I can say is sorry' - Rashford responds to racist abuse & opens up on Euro 2020 final penalty miss

Marcus Rashford has said that he has "felt no prouder moment" representing England at Euro 2020 and that he "will never apologise for who I am and where I came from" after he was subjected to racist abuse following the Three Lions' defeat to Italy. Gareth Southgate's side were beaten 3-2 on spot kicks in the Euro 2020 final, with Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka the three players to see their efforts fall short, leading to the trio receiving abhorrent racist messages online. Reflecting on his miss in the shootout, Manchester United forward Rashford admits that "something didn't feel quite right" before he stepped up to take the penalty, while he has vowed the Three Lions will "be back stronger" "I don't even know where to start and I don't even know how to put into words how I'm feeling at this exact time," Rashford wrote in a statement published on his social media accounts. "I've had ...

Justin Bieber Moves Justice World Tour to 2022 & Adds New Dates

Justin Bieber  is ready to bring  Justice  to the masses. The global pop star has announced rescheduled dates for his Justice World Tour, which was originally set to kick off this summer. Bieber will now hit the road in 2022, launching with a Feb. 18 show at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. The tour, promoted by AEG, will run through Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, Atlanta, Montreal, Tampa, Austin and more. The 52-date trek will close out June 24 at American Family Insurance Amphitheater in Milwaukee. “We’re working hard to make this tour the best one yet,” Bieber said in a release. “I’m excited to get out there and engage with my fans again.” In addition to the rescheduled dates, Bieber has added another seven performances to the tour. Tickets for the newly announced shows in Jacksonville, Orlando, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Des Moines, Austin and Uncasville, Connecticut, will go on sale later this month. The tour will be in support of Bieber'...

Drake & French Montana Tease Possible New Collab

Drake's Certified Lover Boy may have been delayed , but many expect to see the project sooner than later. In fact, we may have already seen a glimpse at the style  Drizzy plans on bringing to the table, with the  Scary Hours 2  three-pack   serving as a welcome prelude to the main event. Other than that, however, little else is known about Drake's sixth studio album. Today, French Montana  took to Instagram to signal a promising development. Sharing a picture of himself and The Boy, with whom he most recently  collaborated on the platinum hit "No Stylist, " French alluded to another forthcoming release from the pair. "We'll see what's 'bout to happen next, okayyyyyyyyyyy?!" he captions, allowing the image to fill in the appropriate blanks. Naturally, French's hype-inducing post sparked many to speculate about his involvement on  Certified Lover Boy,  though it should be noted that Montana has yet to appear on a...

The Weeknd & Angelina Jolie Spotted Together Again

This is the second time The Weeknd and Angelina Jolie were spotted together. It's not clear whether they're dating, really good friends, or business partners, but  The Weeknd  and Angelina Jolie are getting pretty close. The two celebrities have been spotted together multiple times now following their initial spotting last week . Fans were surprised to have spotted them together having dinner at a lavish Los Angeles restaurant and this weekend, they were breathing the same air again. The Weeknd and Angelina Jolie were reportedly both at a private concert by Toronto artist Mustafa. Weeknd was seated with his friends while Jolie was nearby with two of her kids. Sources, including Page Six, have reported that this may lead to an amplified interest in an acting career for The Weeknd, who previously starred in  Uncut Gems . He currently has a few projects that he's working on, including HBO's The Idol ,  and his relations...

'Good' & 'Bad' Still Best: Olivia Rodrigo & Ed Sheeran Hold Atop Billboard Global Charts

Olivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 U" rules the Billboard Global 200  for a sixth week, while Ed Sheeran' s "Bad Habits" notches a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S . chart. Plus, Måneskin continues to scale the top three of both surveys with "Beggin'," after the Italian quartet won  the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. Billboard 's two global charts (the latest of which are dated July 17) began  last September and rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by MRC Data. The Billboard Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the U.S. Chart rankings are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full...