FIFAe Finals 2026 postponed over Saudi Arabia security
The FIFAe Finals 2026 in Jeddah were postponed one day before the opening match due to regional security concerns, following national team withdrawals.
The FIFAe Finals 2026 has been postponed one day before its scheduled opening due to regional security developments. FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation announced the postponement on October 15, just before the tournament was set to begin in Jeddah on October 16.
The event was to be a major international national-team esports tournament. It was scheduled to run from October 16 to 25 at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The planned field included a significant number of qualified teams across multiple titles.
| Competition | Number of Qualified National Teams |
|---|---|
| Console eFootball | 12 |
| Mobile eFootball | 12 |
| Rocket League | 16 |
FIFA had previously billed the 2025 qualifying cycle as record-breaking, with more than 120 nations entering through five in-person continental championships. The 2025 edition in Riyadh carried a prize pool of $450,000. Both FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation had confirmed the finals for 2025 and 2026 in an announcement the previous July, with publisher Konami renewing its agreement to cover those years.
Security concerns escalate
Multiple national teams withdrew citing safety risks before the official postponement. The Japan Football Association withdrew its team on October 10 following a comprehensive assessment of safety and security in the host country. Brazil’s football confederation, the CBF, cancelled the eSeleção’s participation on the same day, citing escalating regional tensions and risks from airspace and airport access.
These decisions came after a Houthi strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 10. That attack killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300. It was the third Houthi attack on the airport that week, and the group declared Saudi airspace a zone of military operations.
A pattern of event disruption
The 2026 FIFAe Finals was set to be the third major international esports event Saudi Arabia was due to host this year that was moved or delayed. The Esports Foundation moved the 2026 Esports World Cup from Riyadh to Paris in May. It also postponed the inaugural Esports Nations Cup from November 2026 to November 2027. The foundation stated that Saudi Arabia remains fully capable of hosting events.
Other sporting events were also affected. The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition was moved from October to December 2024 due to the security situation. The Asian Football Confederation said it was open to delaying the Asian Cup, due to start in January 2025, until 2028.
Uncertain future for tournament
The immediate outcome is that FIFA will not crown its three world champions in October as planned. The replacement date and venue for the 2026 FIFAe Finals have not been announced. It is unknown whether the event will remain in Jeddah or in Saudi Arabia at all.
Significant uncertainty surrounds the competitive structure. It is unclear whether the qualification results from the 2026 cycle will carry over if the event is rescheduled. The potential participation of nations that withdrew, like Japan and Brazil, is also uncertain if the event proceeds. Furthermore, travel and venue costs already incurred by teams and organizers remain unresolved if the tournament moves location. It is unknown whether the hosting and publisher agreements extend if the finals slip into 2027.
FIFA will announce the revised dates and venue at a later date.
