05/03/2026
🚨 2026 FIFA World Cup Could Be Postponed As Iran-US W,ar Throws Tournament Into Uncertainty
With just over 100 days to go before the FIFA World Cup, what should have been a countdown of celebration has instead become one of the sport's most serious geopolitical crises.
A leading expert on Afro-Eurasian sport at the Emlyon Business School in Shanghai, Professor Simon Chadwick told Al Jazeera that the most likely diplomatic resolution is that Iran itself steps aside and withdraws from the tournament, adding that it is "very difficult" to see the United States allowing Iranian players, backroom staff, and officials to enter the country.
Iran's Football Federation President Mehdi Taj has already acknowledged the reality on the ground, stating that after the US and Israeli strikes it is "unlikely" his country can look forward to the World Cup, though he noted the final decision rests with sporting chiefs.
Iran was drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, with all three of its group games scheduled to be played on American soil.
Chadwick has also outlined a postponement scenario, noting that following the pandemic the world now knows sport mega-events can be rescheduled and warning that the financial consequences of key nations withdrawing from the world's biggest sporting event would amount to an act of self-harm for all involved.
Meanwhile, The Middle East conflict has already begun reshaping the sporting calendar, with Qatar's Football Association suspending all tournaments and matches until further notice following Iranian airstrikes on Doha.
FIFA is yet to take a firm position, with Secretary General Mattias Grafström saying the organisation will continue to "monitor the developments around all issues around the world."