The Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper revealed that the Round of 16 matches of the 2026 AFC Champions League for the West Zone have been postponed indefinitely.
The West Zone matches were scheduled to take place next Monday and Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump announced major military operations in Iran, and Tehran responded on Saturday, amid reports of explosions in several Gulf cities.
As a result, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) decided to temporarily suspend football matches until the situation stabilizes, fearing indiscriminate bombing that could claim civilian lives.
No new dates have been set for the postponed matches, and the AFC is preparing for the worst-case scenario: that the schedule will not allow for the matches to be played in a home-and-away format.
In this case, the matches will be postponed until next April and will all be played in Saudi Arabia in a centralized tournament format, just like the quarter-finals.
The final decision hinges on developments in the ongoing war in the coming days, as well as the willingness of local federations to cooperate in postponing matches if necessary.
