FIFAe Finals in Jeddah Delayed Following Withdrawals of Japan and Brazil
FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation have decided to postpone the FIFAe Finals 2026, canceling the national-team esports championship just a day before it was set to kick off in Jeddah, without providing a new date or location.
In a joint statement released at midnight local time on Thursday, the organizations explained that the decision was made after evaluating recent developments in the region and their effects on the logistics needed to host the tournament. FIFA expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia and the federation for their support, highlighting the kingdom’s successful hosting of previous tournaments, and mentioned that further updates would be shared in due time.
The statement did not address security concerns, although two national federations had already withdrawn prior to this announcement.
The Japan Football Association announced on October 10 that it would not send its team, citing a thorough assessment of the current situation in the host country and safety information. Brazil’s CBF followed suit later that evening, pulling the eSeleção from participation due to rising regional tensions and specific risks associated with the airspace and airports the team would have to navigate.
Japan’s exit also meant the withdrawal of the home federation for Konami, which provides two of the three competitions featured in the event.
Both withdrawals coincided with a Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, resulting in at least 12 fatalities and over 300 injuries, as reported. This marked the third Houthi strike on the airport that week, with the group declaring Saudi airspace a military operations zone. Additionally, the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition has been rescheduled from October to December, and the Asian Football Confederation has indicated a willingness to postpone the Asian Cup, set to begin in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar on January 7, until 2028.
Konami’s notice to players attributed the postponement to “various circumstances.”
FIFA had previously touted this year’s qualifying rounds as record-breaking. According to a September 1 announcement, over 120 nations participated, competing in five in-person continental championships across Malaysia, Brazil, Morocco, Mexico, and Portugal. Twelve national teams qualified for both the console and mobile eFootball competitions, while 16 teams qualified for Rocket League, all scheduled to take place at the Abadi Al Johar Arena from October 16 to 25. The announcement did not specify a prize pool for 2026, but the 2025 edition in Riyadh featured a $450,000 prize pool.
This postponement marks the third significant international esports event that Saudi Arabia was set to host this year that has been moved or delayed.
The Esports Foundation shifted the 2026 Esports World Cup from Riyadh to Paris in May, and as previously reported, postponed the inaugural Esports Nations Cup from November 2026 to November 2027, despite most qualifying already being completed, while asserting that “Saudi Arabia remains fully capable of hosting events.”
FIFA has opted for postponement rather than relocation, a choice that preserves the event’s integrity while maintaining the host’s role. This decision is significant, given the time-sensitive nature of the current arrangement: in a July 2025 announcement, FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation confirmed the finals for both 2025 and 2026, and Konami’s renewal with FIFA also covered these two years.
Questions remain about the new dates, whether the event will still take place in Jeddah or even in Saudi Arabia, if the 2026 qualification results will carry over, who will bear the travel and venue costs already incurred, whether Japan and Brazil can return if the event is rescheduled, and if the hosting and publisher agreements will extend if the finals are pushed into 2027.
As it stands, FIFA will not crown its three world champions in October. The broader concern is whether a football esports calendar centered around a single Saudi host can yield a 2026 champion, or if FIFA, similar to the Esports Foundation, will need to carry this year’s competition into the next.
