The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the local organising committee published the final match schedule for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia on 26 October, confirming kick-off times and venues for all 51 games. According to Thanh Niên, Vietnam, drawn in group E, open against the UAE in Riyadh at 20:30 Vietnam time on 11 January 2027, meet South Korea in Riyadh at 17:30 on 15 January, and finish the group against Yemen in Jeddah at 20:30 on 20 January.
Vietnam group E fixtures
| Date | Opponent | Vietnam time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan 2027 | UAE | 20:30 | Riyadh (Al Awwal Park) |
| 15 Jan 2027 | South Korea | 17:30 | Riyadh |
| 20 Jan 2027 | Yemen | 20:30 | Jeddah |
The AFC schedule, as reported by Thanh Niên, uses four kick-off slots which in Vietnam time are 17:30, 20:30, 23:30 and midnight. Only three games start at midnight: the opener between Saudi Arabia and Palestine, the second semi-final and the final. All three of Vietnam's group games therefore fall in the late afternoon or evening at home, which suits fans in Vietnam. Thanh Niên added that the tournament will be shown on TV360.
The AFC said the allocation of venues and kick-off times took careful account of commercial and broadcast requirements as well as local operational plans, with the aim of drawing crowds and improving the experience for fans.
Key dates
Compiled by KBVN+ from the AFC announcement and Thanh Niên:
- 7 January 2027 (Thursday): hosts Saudi Arabia play Palestine in the opening match at the 72,000-seat King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh, at 20:00 local time (about midnight on 8 January in Vietnam).
- 20 January: the 24-team group stage ends.
- Two days later: the round of 16 begins.
- 28 and 29 January: quarter-finals.
- 1 and 2 February: semi-finals.
- 5 February: the final at King Fahd Sports City, 20:00 local time (midnight on 6 February in Vietnam).
According to the AFC, this is the 19th edition of the tournament and the first staged in Saudi Arabia. The 51 matches are spread across eight stadiums in three cities: five in Riyadh, two in Jeddah and one in Al Khobar. Among the other Southeast Asian teams, Indonesia and Thailand share group F with Japan and Qatar and meet each other at 17:30 on 20 January, while Singapore are in group D with Australia, Tajikistan and Iraq.
Concern over Al Awwal Park
Also on 26 October, the AFC postponed the AFC Champions League Elite match between Ronaldo's club Al Nassr and Al Wasl of the UAE, which had been due at Al Awwal Park, the Riyadh stadium where Vietnam will play their opening game. Thanh Niên reported that the AFC gave no reason and said the new date and kick-off time would be announced in due course. Saudi media, cited by Thanh Niên, said Al Wasl had not arrived on schedule, citing difficulties travelling to Riyadh, and had asked for the postponement. Thanh Niên said it was the second time a match involving Ronaldo at the stadium had been postponed.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) called the postponement unilateral and rejected suggestions that security instability was behind it, saying it had completed every arrangement to receive the Al Wasl delegation, including flight permits, and that the match commissioners and referees had arrived in Riyadh early. Journalist John Duerden, cited by Thanh Niên, said the repeated postponements in Saudi Arabia, at a stadium that will host Asian Cup games, were renewing fears that the tournament itself could be delayed. KBVN+ previously reported that the JFA president warned the risk of an Asian Cup 2027 postponement was very high.
What's next
Thanh Niên reported that Vietnam will be back in action in November to prepare for the tournament, with two friendlies against Kyrgyzstan and Chinese Taipei. Their group E rivals are also stepping up preparations, as KBVN+ reported in Văn Vĩ scores on his return as Vietnam and their group E rivals step up Asian Cup 2027 preparations. Upcoming games are listed on the Vietnam national team fixtures page.