Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, lewis hamilton Some sports stars have their schedules in jeopardy due to the spread of infection. war in the middle east.
Cancellation and Cancellation of trip Things are already having an impact since the US and Israel launched a series of attacks against Iran on Saturday. organizer formula 1 And a decision will need to be made in the coming weeks whether major soccer matches can go ahead as scheduled.
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 March 27th soccer Finalissima match between Spain and Argentina, the champions of Europe and South America. This match will be Messi’s chance to win yet another trophy in his illustrious career.
qatar Paused All soccer games will be played 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 a series of canceled matches. asian champions league match. 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.
Iran scheduled to play USA in World Cup
Iran plans to send a men’s soccer team to the United States. world cup It took just over three months for the first match against New Zealand to be played 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 US government is promised exemption from travel ban For athletes and coaches for events such as the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Athletes stranded due to airspace closures
Even if some events are held, the big concerns for athletes and teams are: how can they travel Safely inside and outside the area.
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 are also facing difficulties, along with thousands of foreign tourists, while F1 officials are exploring alternative travel options to avoid the region on their way to this week’s Australian Grand Prix.
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 too owns a soccer team that won the Champions League Paris Saint-Germain.
Saudi Arabia will be the host country 2034 world cup In men’s soccer, it funded the LIV Golf breakaway league and became a major player in world boxing.
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AP Sports: https://apnews.com/Sports
