The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup begins in three months, but what was one of the simplest editions to organize in the tournament’s history seems to be getting more complicated by the day.
The Israeli-United States war over Iran has created huge uncertainty around the world, and FIFA’s showpiece program is already experiencing ramifications in addition to policy and political issues already roaring in America.
Recommended stories
List of 4 itemsEnd of list
Al Jazeera Sport looks at five issues that the US, Mexico and Canada-affiliated competition must address ahead of the first match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11.
Will Iran participate in 2026 FIFA World Cup in US?
Iran’s sports minister said on Wednesday that the country cannot participate in the FIFA World Cup after the US killed its supreme leader.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated on the first day of the US-Israeli war, and all of its national football team’s World Cup group games are played in US cities.
On February 28, the US and Israeli attacks began. So far 1,255 people have been killed and more than 12,000 injured in Iran.
Iran has carried out attacks on US military bases in Israel, neighboring Middle Eastern states and infrastructure in the region.
“Considering that this corrupt regime (US) has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” Sports Minister Ahmed Donyamali told state television.
Is the US ready to host Iran in a World Cup during a war?
According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, US President Donald Trump will “welcome” Iran’s participation in the World Cup.
Before Iran’s announcement, Infantino took to Instagram on Wednesday to say that Trump reiterated his stance on Iranian involvement during a meeting between the pair to discuss the upcoming tournament, despite the war in the Middle East.
As the draw stands, both the US and Iran could face off in the tournament if they finish second in their groups. The result was an elimination match on July 3 in Dallas.
Meanwhile, if the US itself refuses to host the Iranian team, FIFA could remove them as World Cup hosts – a fate that has already happened to Indonesia.
As hosts of the Men’s Under-20 World Cup three years ago, Indonesia refused to welcome Israel. Just weeks before the scheduled first match, FIFA dropped the host of the tournament and moved the competition to Argentina.
What’s the latest on Iraq’s qualifying playoff match?
Iraq faces major logistical problems as a result of the war before qualifying for the March 31 World Cup.
The winner of Iraq’s intercontinental playoff against Suriname or Bolivia will advance to the 2026 edition, but Iraq’s airspace is closed until April 1 due to the war and the team is predominantly made up of players from the domestic league.
As the team struggles to fully assemble for the match, national team head coach Graham Arnold asked FIFA to delay his team’s qualifier on Monday.
The match will be played in Monterrey, Mexico, and the host nation issued some visas to the Iraqi players at their embassy in Qatar on March 8.
In a further complication, Mexico does not have an embassy in Iraq unlike the rest of the players.
Mexico promised Iraq “to provide all necessary assistance in enrolling members of the Iraqi national team.”
Mexico violence raises questions about hosting World Cup matches
While the US and the rest of the world are dealing with complications related to the war on Iran, Mexico is dealing with internal problems of its own.
A wave of violence was sparked in the country on February 23 after the killing of a drug lord who headed one of the most powerful Mexican criminal organizations.
Gunmen burned cars and blocked highways in more than half a dozen states immediately after news of his killing.
The first match of the World Cup is being played in Mexico City, followed by the second match on the same day in Guadalajara, which has been rocked by last month’s violence.
Mexican officials later tried to reassure FIFA officials and potential travelers that the tournament was safe.
On Friday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico would deploy 100,000 members of its security forces during the competition, assuring soccer fans there was “no risk” in coming to the country.
What are the FIFA World Cup 2026 ticketing issues?
Like many global events in sports and entertainment, the availability and price of World Cup tickets for standard seats is a sore point for the general public.
Around 2 million tickets were sold in the first two sales phases of the 2026 edition and demand was so intense that tickets were oversubscribed more than 30 times.
The most expensive tickets for the opening game are being advertised at around $900 but that figure for the final is over $8,000.
Tickets for matches involving major nations usually cost at least $200. Final priced cheapest tickets are $2,000 and best seats are $8,680.
Then there’s FIFA’s official resale site, where one-class three seats for the July 19 final in New Jersey are being advertised for an eye-watering $143,750, 41 times their original face value of $3,450.
(tags to translate)news
