Australia's football friendly against Jordan, scheduled for Tuesday in Amman, has been moved to Doha over security concerns, in the latest sign of how the conflict in the Middle East is disrupting sport in the region.

Football Australia said on Friday that its request to move the match had been approved by the Jordan Football Association. The Socceroos, who face Qatar in Doha later on Friday, will now stay in the Qatari capital and play Jordan there on Tuesday instead of travelling to Amman.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had advised Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Jordan, citing the unpredictable security situation and the threat of terrorism. The US State Department is reducing staffing at four US embassies in the Middle East, including Amman, after receiving intelligence that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel in the region.

Security fears in Amman

The concerns are not abstract. Jordan launched airstrikes on what it said were Islamic State militants in neighbouring Syria late last month, in response to an attack on a church that killed nine people and injured 40. A security officer was killed and another wounded in a stabbing attack in Amman this month.

Jordan also cancelled an international friendly against Indonesia last week at the request of the Indonesian football association. Australia's players and staff had raised concerns about travelling to Jordan during this month's international break, and coach Tony Popovic's side will now play both of their fixtures in Doha.

These are crucial games, Popovic said, as the team has limited time together, especially now that the AFC Asian Cup has been rescheduled. This will be the Socceroos' last camp for four months.

Asian Cup pushed back almost a year

Both friendlies had been arranged as warm-up matches before January's Asian Cup, but the tournament has been postponed to December 2027 because of the conflict in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East. The Asian Football Confederation said the organising committee had approved rescheduling the tournament in light of exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions.

The Asian Cup was originally scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February 2027. The new dates are 23 December 2027 to 21 January 2028, and will be presented to FIFA for approval, according to the Asian Football Confederation.

A number of big sports events in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled or postponed in recent weeks following attacks on the country by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement. An attack on Riyadh's international airport last month killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300, in the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. The Houthis claimed responsibility.

The Saudi Pro League has also postponed matches after the Asian Cup was rescheduled, as part of a wider review of the 2026-27 league fixture schedule. The revised Asian Cup dates create additional flexibility in the domestic calendar, but they also underline how far the disruption now reaches: a continental tournament, a domestic league and an international friendly have all been moved or delayed in the space of a few days.

For Australia, the immediate question is simpler. The Socceroos will face Qatar on Friday at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, and Jordan at the same venue on Tuesday, without leaving the city they are already in. The match has been saved, but only by moving it out of the country where it was meant to be played.