With 100 days to go, 2026 World Cup faces new challenges

GENEVA (AP):

With 100 days to go until the World Cup, the Iran war has added a new layer of complexity 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 facing organisers already grappling with cartel violence in one of Mexico's host cities, scaled-back plans for fan festivals in the US and criticism from fans against soaring ticket prices.

Officials of the qualified teams are meeting with FIFA staff in Atlanta this week. The tournament kicks off on June 11 when Mexico play South Africa in Mexico City. It will be the biggest World Cup ever with 48 participating teams, up from 32 at the previous tournament in Qatar.

Here's a look at some of the issues drawing scrutiny as the countdown began:

A BACKDROP OF GEOPOLITICAL TENSION

It's not unusual for international politics to overshadow a global sports event like the World Cup -- at least in the early stages before the football action takes over the headlines.

In 2022, Qatar's treatment of migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community drew headlines off the field. LGBTQ+ rights, the annexation of Crimea and the poisoning of a spy in Britain were in focus when Russia hosted the tournament in 2018.

In Brazil in 2014 and South Africa in 2010 there were concerns about crime and security.

Many have been hit by tariffs. Some are facing travel restrictions. Denmark, which can still qualify through playoffs in March, has been shaken by President Donald Trump's calls for the US to take over Greenland. And with 100 days to go, the US is in a military conflict with Iran, one of the first teams to qualify.

IRAN'S STATUS AT WORLD CUP UNCLEAR

Iran is set to play two group stage games in Inglewood, California, and one in Seattle.

However, whether the Iranian team will come to the US is uncertain.

"What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope," Iran's top football official, Mehdi Taj, said last weekend as the US and Israel launched coordinated attacks that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens more senior officials.

Still, Iran has not announced it is withdrawing from the tournament, which no team that qualified has done in the past 75 years. Iran, the second-highest ranked team in Asia, was drawn in a group with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request on whether Iran federation officials attended the Atlanta workshop.

FAN FESTIVALS

SLIMMED DOWN

Fan festivals have been a key part of the World Cup experience in the past two decades. They offer a chance for thousands of fans without match tickets to take part in the World Cup atmosphere by coming together to watch games on a big screen.

Some of those plans are now being scaled back in the US

New York/New Jersey eliminated its Fan Fest in Jersey City, New Jersey, even though it had started selling tickets for an event scheduled to be open every day of the tournament.

Planning to sell tickets was itself unprecedented for World Cup fan zones, which were free to enter since being launched at the 2006 edition in Germany.

Seattle cut down its original plan and rescheduled it for smaller venues and Boston trimmed its event to 16 days.

The chief operating officer of Miami's FIFA World Cup host committee said during a congressional hearing on February 24 that it might cancel its event if it did not receive federal funding within 30 days. Kansas City, Missouri, Police Deputy Chief Joseph Maybin said the city had an immediate need for federal funds to prepare security.

CARTEL VIOLENCE

IN MEXICO

Mexico's ability to co-host the World Cup has been under scrutiny after a surge in violence last week in the state of Jalisco following the military's killing of a powerful cartel boss.

The state's capital, Guadalajara, is set to host four matches during the group stage.

Mexico's government insists the World Cup won't be affected and President Claudia Sheinbaum said there's no risk for fans coming to the tournament.

Infantino told Sheinbaum that he has full confidence in Mexico as a World Cup host.

The FIFA leader has repeatedly promised the 2026 World Cup will be the greatest and most inclusive.