March 3 marks 100 days until the 2026 World Cup kicks off. A series of playoffs this month will determine the last six teams in the newly expanded 48-team tournament.
But recent US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory strikes in the Middle East complicate the picture. One playoff contender — likely Iraq — could replace Iran, which qualified a year ago. “It’s not possible to say exactly, but there will certainly be a response,” Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said on IRIB Channel 3. “This will surely be studied by the country’s high-ranking sports officials and there will be a decision on what’s going to happen. But what we can say now is that due to this attack and its viciousness, it is far from our expectations that we can look at the World Cup with hope.”
No final decision has been taken for the men’s team. Iran’s women began their Asian Cup campaign with a defeat to South Korea in Australia; while Australia has not directly attacked Iran, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia supports the United States.
Iran’s men are due to play all three World Cup group games in the US: against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, and against Egypt in Seattle.
FIFA says it is monitoring the situation. General secretary Mattias Grafstrom said the organization’s focus is “to have a safe World Cup with everybody participating.” However, many Iranian fans are banned from traveling to the US under former President Donald Trump’s travel ban, a list that also includes Ivory Coast, Senegal and Haiti. Players and approved officials are exempt. The bans, and a perceived hostile environment enforced by ICE agents, are fueling safety concerns among potential visitors.
Talk of a European boycott has eased somewhat, but unpredictability around the US president and his close ties with FIFA President Gianni Infantino complicate matters. Infantino attended the launch of Trump’s Board of Peace shortly before the Iran attacks and was seen wearing a MAGA-style cap at the event.
Ticket prices are another flashpoint. Final tickets reportedly start at $2,000, with premium seats listed at $8,680; resale listings have reached astronomical levels, including a recent FIFA portal listing at $143,750. FIFA is holding back an unspecified number of tickets to be released in April after qualifiers conclude, which could drive prices higher. The lack of regulation around secondary sellers, including FIFA’s own platform, worries fans.
Logistics add to costs. US stadiums are often car-dependent; at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, parking could cost around $300 per matchday and still require a long walk to the venue. These expenses far exceed typical costs for domestic US sporting events at the same arenas.
Fan parks, which have become a World Cup staple, are also in doubt. A partial US federal shutdown has delayed nearly $900 million earmarked for the 11 US host cities, prompting warnings that planned fan festivals, watch parties and related events may be scrapped. “We have to start making some really tough decisions and it starts with our fan festival,” Ray Martinez, chief operating officer of the Miami World Cup Host Committee, said, warning that resolution is needed before the end of the month. Other host cities have issued similar cautions. “The matches up at the stadium will take place, but preparing for all the impromptu events and watch parties that we are expecting to see will be in jeopardy,” Martinez added.
Concerns have also emerged in Mexico following a wave of violence after the killing of a drug cartel boss in late February. Mexico City will host the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa on June 11, with matches in three Mexican cities. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said FIFA will visit to assess security, and that Infantino assured her he had “full confidence” in Mexico as a host. Two Canadian cities, Toronto and Vancouver, will also host matches.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold