FIFA World Cup could be postponed on one condition as Middle East conflict worsens

Following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, an expert has suggested that the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup could be postponed if attacks spillover into Europe and the US.

In 98 days, the FIFA World Cup will get underway, with co-hosts Mexico set to take on South Africa in the tournament’s opener in Mexico City.

Of the 104 games contested by 48 teams, 13 will take place in Mexico, 13 in Canada, while the US will host 78, including the final.

However, due to the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East following the US and Israel’s joint attack on Iran on 28 February, question marks remain over the tournament.

There have been suggestions that Iran could pull out of the tournament, with the president of Iran’s football federation saying: “What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope," earlier this week.

All of Iran’s group matches – against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt – are set to take place in the US, which could lead to security concerns given the political situation.

At this time, there is no suggestion from FIFA that Iran will be stripped of the opportunity to compete or voluntarily pull out.

On 3 March, US Soccer CEO JT Batson told Sky News: “FIFA president Gianni Infantino shared over the weekend the intention of a safe and secure World Cup where all teams are participating. And we’re certainly very supportive of that.”

US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino (Credit:Getty)

However, the footballing authorities’ stance may change if the conflict in the Middle East continues, with several Gulf nations – including Israel, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar – struck by Iranian missiles and drones following the US and Israel’s joint attack.

The Trump administration’s travel bans may also impact Iranian citizens’ ability to attend games in the US.

Nationals from Iran are currently banned from travel to the US.

But if the conflict continues, could the tournament even be postponed?

For this to happen, attacks would likely have to occur in the US and Europe, according to Professor Simon Chadwick, who has previously served as director of research for the organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and has also advised global sporting organisations.

Chadwick told SPORTbible: “With only three months to go to the World Cup, postponement of the tournament to next year seems unlikely. Logistically, economically and politically, it would be a major challenge to reschedule the mega-event. So long as conflict remains contained within the Middle East, it would be hard to justify or explain postponement.

“However, if attacks spill over into Europe and North America, the matter would escalate and become much more serious. Furthermore, if air travel is disrupted or oil supplies are significantly affected, practical considerations might force FIFA and the US to think about alternative arrangements for the competition.

“One nevertheless suspects that Donald Trump and his administration would strongly oppose rescheduling, as they would likely see it as capitulation. Postponement has to be a possibility, although for the time being at least, the tournament seems more likely to go ahead as planned.”

SPORTbible has contacted FIFA for comment.