The 2026 World Cup may be postponed. The reason has been revealed
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
There are only 98 days left until the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, but the escalating conflict in the Middle East has cast doubt on the tournament’s staging. With the United States set to host 78 of the 104 matches, including the final, security concerns and political tensions have come to the forefront.
Details: Sports geopolitics expert, Professor Simon Chadwick, explained in an interview with SPORTbible that there is one condition under which FIFA would consider moving the World Cup to 2027. According to him, as long as the conflict remains localized in the Middle East, rescheduling would be economically and logistically unjustified.
However, if attacks spread to Europe or North America, or if air travel and oil supplies are significantly disrupted, FIFA and the U.S. government would have no choice but to reconsider the tournament dates.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Iran’s national team is scheduled to play all its group stage matches—against Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand—on U.S. soil. Given the ongoing travel bans for Iranian citizens under the Donald Trump administration, and the prospect of direct military confrontation, the participation of the Iranian team and the arrival of their fans seem technically impossible.
Despite this, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the leadership of the U.S. Soccer Federation continue to express their intention to hold a safe and inclusive World Cup.
Reminder: “Camp Nou” emerges as the main contender to host the World Cup final.
