GENEVA (AP) — 100 days until the event world cupthe Iran war added new complications to the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
How the conflict will affect the world’s most-watched sporting event is the latest issue organizers are already grappling with cartel violence Plans were scaled back in one of Mexico’s host cities. fan festival Criticism from fans in the US Soaring ticket prices.
Officials from the teams that qualify will meet with FIFA staff this week in Atlanta. The tournament will open on June 11th in Mexico City with Mexico vs. South Africa. It will be the largest World Cup in history, with 48 teams participating, up from 32 teams in the previous edition in Qatar.
Here are some of the issues that are gaining scrutiny as the countdown begins.
Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions
It is not uncommon for international politics to overshadow global sporting events like the World Cup, at least in the early stages before soccer matches dominate the headlines.
In 2022, Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community attracted attention outside the field. When Russia hosted the tournament in 2018, the focus was on LGBTQ+ rights, the annexation of Crimea, and the poisoning of British spies.
There were concerns about crime and security in Brazil in 2014 and South Africa in 2010.
The 2026 Games are likely to open against a backdrop of political tensions involving the United States and participating countries.
Many people are affected by tariffs. Some are facing travel restrictions. Denmark still has a chance of making the playoffs in March, but is reeling from President Donald Trump’s request to the United States. occupy greenland. With 100 days remaining, the United States was in a military conflict with Iran, one of the first teams to qualify.
Iran’s status in the World Cup is uncertain
Iran will play two group stage games in Inglewood, California, and one in Seattle.
But whether the Iranian team will come to the US or not is uncertain.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot expect to go into the World Cup with any hope,” Iranian soccer chief Mehdi Taj said over the weekend, as the United States and Israel launched joint attacks that left a number of deaths. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens more senior bureaucrats.
Still, Iran has not announced its withdrawal from the tournament, but no team that has qualified has done so in the past 75 years. Iran, Asia’s second-highest ranked team, was drawn in the same group as Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
FIFA did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether Iranian federation officials attended the Atlanta workshop.
Fan festivals are shrinking
For the past 20 years, fan festivals have been an important part of the World Cup experience. It will give thousands of fans without match tickets the opportunity to join in the World Cup atmosphere by gathering to watch the match on the big screen.
Some of these plans are currently being scaled back in the US
New York/New Jersey canceled Fan Fest in Jersey City, New Jersey, even though ticket sales had begun for the event, which was scheduled to be held every day during the convention.
Admission to the World Cup fan zone has been free since the 2006 tournament in Germany, and the plan to sell tickets was unprecedented.
Seattle scaled back its original plans to a smaller venue, and Boston shortened the event to 16 days.
The chief operating officer of Miami’s FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee told a Congressional hearing on February 24 that the tournament could be canceled if federal funding is not received within 30 days. Kansas City, Missouri, Deputy Police Chief Joseph Maybin said the city urgently needs federal funding to improve public safety.
House Republicans said Democrats’ push for restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials could partially shut down the Department of Homeland Security and hold up federal funding.
Foxboro game threatened
The New England Patriots’ stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, is scheduled to host seven World Cup games, starting with Haiti vs. Scotland on June 13th and ending in the quarterfinals on July 9th. That’s FIFA’s plan.
The Foxboro City Select Board refused to issue a permit for World Cup games at the stadium and set a March 17 deadline for paying the $7.8 million. This amount is the town’s estimate for police fees and other costs. Foxboro said it is not part of FIFA’s hosting agreement with Boston.
Backlash against FIFA ticket prices
FIFA has about 7 million seats to fill for World Cup matches. It announced that it received 500 million ticket requests last month.. FIFA president Gianni Infantino declared all 104 matches sold out, but some fans said they received an email last week informing them that the ticket sale period would be extended by 48 hours.
FIFA prices in December Up to $8,680 per ticket. After criticism, FIFA announces hundreds of $60 tickets to be given away The tournament will be offered in all matches to 48 national federations. Those federations will decide how to distribute them to the most loyal fans who attended previous matches.
Most seats on FIFA’s ticket resale platform, which seeks to eliminate the secondary market and earn FIFA an additional 15% commission from buyers and sellers, are priced well above the $1,000 threshold.
cartel violence in mexico
Mexico’s ability to co-host the World Cup has come under scrutiny after a spike in violence following the military’s killing of a powerful cartel boss last week in Jalisco state.
The state capital, Guadalajara, will host four matches in the group stage.
Mexico’s government insisted the World Cup would not be affected, and President Claudia Sheinbaum said there was no risk to fans attending the tournament.
Infantino told Sheinbaum: complete confidence Mexico as the host country for the World Cup.
FIFA leaders have repeatedly promised that the 2026 World Cup will be the greatest and most inclusive.
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AP Sports Writers Ronald Blum in New York and Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.
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