LIonel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton are among sports stars whose schedules are in jeopardy due to the growing war in the Middle East.
Cancellations and travel cancellations have already affected the event since the United States and Israel launched a series of attacks against Iran on Saturday. Organizers of F1 and major soccer matches will soon have to decide whether competitions can go ahead as planned.
Countries in the Middle East have become important players in global sport over the past decade as event organizers, sponsors and employers of the world’s top athletes.
Upcoming major events
A decision is looming on whether to cancel or postpone the final soccer match between Spain and Argentina, the champions of Europe and South America, to be held in Qatar on March 27th. This match will be Messi’s chance to win yet another trophy in his illustrious career.
Qatar suspended all soccer matches on Sunday until further notice. Argentina was scheduled to play Qatar in a friendly on March 31st.
“UEFA, in cooperation with (South American soccer body) CONMEBOL and (local organizing committee), is monitoring and carefully assessing all developments in the situation,” European soccer body UEFA told The Associated Press on Monday.
Ronaldo’s soccer team, Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr, has already been affected by the wave of Asian Champions League match cancellations. His team was scheduled to play in Dubai on Wednesday.
F1 races will take place in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next month. F1 and its teams typically begin transporting staff and cargo several weeks in advance, giving them limited time to make a decision. Governing body the FIA said its priority was “safety and welfare”.
The men’s and women’s tennis tours and the European golf tour have just finished swinging through the Middle East and are expected to take several months to restart. The LPGA Tour will hold a golf tournament in China this week, after which most players will return east to North America, so travel should not be affected.
Iran scheduled to play USA in World Cup
Iran is planning to send its men’s soccer team to the United States for the World Cup in just over three months, with the first match to be played against New Zealand on June 16 in Inglewood, California.
There are doubts as to whether or not Iran will be able to participate in the tournament. Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, said, “We cannot expect to go into the World Cup with high hopes.”
The U.S. government has promised to exempt athletes and coaches from travel bans for events such as the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
stranded athlete
Even if some events do take place, the biggest concern for athletes and teams will be how to safely travel in and out of the region.
Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev is among the tennis players waiting for a chance to leave the country, which ended last week in Dubai. Failure to travel soon will affect the BNP Paribas Open, which begins Wednesday in Indian Wells, California.
Travel has also been made difficult for some athletes heading to the Winter Paralympic Games, which open in Italy on Friday. The International Paralympic Committee said most teams were already in Europe for training and were helping other teams travel. Iran is scheduled to have one ski athlete participate in the Paralympics.
Cricket and basketball players were also facing difficulties, along with thousands of foreign tourists. The West Indies cricket team, who took part in the Twenty20 World Cup, are stranded in India while awaiting permission to return to the Caribbean.
F1 officials were also looking for alternative travel options to avoid the region on their way to this week’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Regions important to world sport
The Middle East’s influence on global sport has surged in recent years, with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar hosting major events and becoming important financial supporters.
In addition to soccer and car racing, Qatar will host the World Endurance Championship sports car race, the MotoGP motorcycle race this month, the Gymnastics World Cup next month, and the first Diamond League athletics competition of the year in May. Qatar also owns the Champions League-winning soccer team Paris Saint-Germain.
Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 Men’s Soccer World Cup, has become a major player in world boxing, funding the LIV Golf Breakaway League.
