With U.S. at war with Iran, political upheaval could engulf World Cup

"It seems to me, for each passing day, it's less and less likely that the World Cup can happen. That take seems unduly alarmist said David Goldblatt, a British sportswriter and sociologist who is a visiting professor at Pitzer College in Claremont. Anything short of a full-scale war inside the U.S. would not be enough to pull the plug on the tournament now, he said. Especially with FIFA expecting revenues of as much as $11 billion."

"I mean, it's not a good look, and certainly when set against FIFA's official pronouncements on its role in encouraging world peace and cosmopolitan celebrations of a universal humanity, none of that sits terribly easily. But in terms of actually running the World Cup, I don't think it's going to make very much difference at all."

"However, with the Trump administration open to engaging in more international conflicts, there's little doubt this World Cup, the largest and most complex in history, will also be the most political in history as well. Complicating things further is the fact the current conflict in the Middle East hasn't been limited to just the U.S. and Iran."

The United States, as World Cup host, launched bombing campaigns against Iran and conducted military operations in Ecuador, both World Cup qualifiers. These unprecedented simultaneous conflicts with tournament participants have prompted debate about whether the World Cup should proceed as scheduled in three months. Soccer scholar Jonathan Wilson expresses concern about feasibility, while sportswriter David Goldblatt argues the tournament will likely continue despite poor optics, citing FIFA's projected $11 billion revenue. The situation is further complicated by Middle East tensions involving multiple World Cup qualifiers including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. The Trump administration's openness to international conflicts suggests this World Cup will be the most politically charged in history.

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