JEDDAH — FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation have postponed the 2026 FIFAe Finals, removing three football-esports world championships from a schedule that was due to begin October 16.

The organizers said the decision followed an assessment of regional developments and their effect on the logistics required to stage the event. They did not announce replacement dates.

Three world championships affected

The October 16–25 program was to include separate FIFAe World Cup competitions for eFootball on console, eFootball on mobile and Rocket League. FIFA’s original event announcement listed 12 national teams in each eFootball competition and 16 in Rocket League.

The event was also supposed to introduce a Champions Weekend from October 23 to 25. FIFA said further announcements will be made through its official FIFAe channels.

Security concerns reshape Saudi events

FIFA’s public statement referred generally to recent regional developments and logistical arrangements. Reuters connected the postponement to recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a strike on Riyadh’s international airport that Saudi authorities said killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.

Reuters also reported that Japan and Brazil had withdrawn their esports teams after assessing conditions in the host country. The Asian Tour subsequently postponed its season-ending golf event in Riyadh, while a major tennis exhibition was moved to December.

The postponement does not establish a new venue, date or competition format. Ticket holders, teams and viewers should rely on official FIFAe updates rather than the superseded October schedule.

Sources

Lead image: AI-generated editorial illustration created for The Northern Current; it is not a photograph of the FIFAe Finals, Jeddah or any security incident.