The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup kicks off in three months, but what was set to be one of the most straightforward editions to organise in the tournament’s history appears to be growing more complicated by the day.
The Israeli-United States war on Iran has created massive uncertainty across the globe, and FIFA’s showpiece event is already feeling the ramifications along with policy and political issues that were already rumbling in the Americas.
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Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the five issues the competition – cohosted by the US, Mexico and Canada – must resolve before the first match on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa.
Will Iran participate at FIFA World Cup 2026 in US?
Iran’s sports minister said on Wednesday that the country cannot participate in the FIFA World Cup after the US killed its supreme leader.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated on the first day of the US-Israel war, and all of its national football team’s World Cup group games are to be played in US cities.
The US and Israeli attacks began on February 28. So far, 1,255 people have been killed in Iran and more than 12,000 wounded.
Iran has hit back with strikes on Israel, US military bases in neighbouring Middle East states and infrastructure in the region.
“Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali told state television.
Is the US willing to host Iran at World Cup in time of war?
US President Donald Trump would “welcome” Iran’s participation in the World Cup, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Before Iran’s announcement, Infantino took to Instagram on Wednesday to state that despite the war in the Middle East, Trump had reiterated his stance on Iran’s involvement during a meeting between the pair to discuss the upcoming tournament.
As the draw stands, the US and Iran could come head-to-head at the tournament if they both finish second in their respective groups. A July 3 elimination match in Dallas would be the outcome.
Meanwhile, if the US themselves refused to host the Iranian team, then FIFA could remove them as a World Cup host – a fate the Indonesia already befell.
As hosts of the men’s Under-20 World Cup three years ago, Indonesia refused to welcome Israel. FIFA dropped the tournament host just weeks before the scheduled first game and moved that competition to Argentina.
What is the latest on Iraq’s qualifications playoff match?
Iraq are facing major logistical issues as a result of the war before their March 31 qualifier for the World Cup.
The winner of Iraq’s intercontinental playoff against either Suriname or Bolivia will advance to the 2026 edition, but Iraqi airspace is closed until April 1 due to the war, and the squad is predominantly made up of players from the domestic league.
With the squad struggling to fully gather for the match, the head coach of the national team, Graham Arnold, asked FIFA on Monday to delay his team’s qualifier.
The match is due to be played in Monterrey, Mexico, and the host country issued some visas to Iraq’s players at their embassy in Qatar on March 8.
In a further complication, Mexico does not have an embassy in Iraq for the remaining players.
Mexico has issued an assurance to Iraq that it will “provide all necessary assistance in documenting the members of the Iraqi national team”.
Mexico violence raises questions over it hosting World Cup games
While the US and the rest of the world face complications related to the war on Iran, Mexico is facing its own internal issues.
A wave of violence was triggered in the country on February 23 after the killing of a drug lord who led one of the most powerful Mexican criminal organisations.
Gunmen torched cars and blocked highways in more than half a dozen states in the immediate aftermath of news of his killing.
The first match of the World Cup is being staged in Mexico City with a second on the same day in Guadalajara, which was rocked by last month’s violence.
Mexican officials thereafter sought to assure FIFA authorities and potential travellers that the tournament would be safe.
On Friday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico would deploy as many as 100,000 members of its security forces during the competition, assuring football fans that there was “no risk” in coming to the country.
What are the FIFA World Cup 2026 ticketing issues?
As with numerous global events in sport and entertainment, the availability and pricing of World Cup tickets for standard seats is a sore point for the general public.
Nearly 2 million tickets were sold in the first two sales phases for the 2026 edition, and demand was so intense that tickets were oversubscribed more than 30 times.
The most expensive tickets for the opening game are being advertised at almost $900 while for the final, that figure is more than $8,000
Tickets in general cost at least $200 for matches involving leading nations. The cheapest tickets for the final cost $2,000 and the best seats $8,680.
Then there is FIFA’s official resale site, where one category three seat for the final in New Jersey on July 19 was being advertised for an eye-watering $143,750, more than 41 times its original face value of $3,450.
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