Tennis players trapped, soccer players on the run: Sports world on edge due to Middle East conflict
The outbreak of war has disrupted sports, causing the postponement of upcoming events and leaving others up in the air.
Soccer game at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. File image
The start of the conflict in the Middle East, with the United States and Israel leading one side and Iran the other, has disrupted numerous professional sporting events, not only in the region, but also in other parts of the world.
Several federations and official competitions have made the decision, until further notice, to suspend their upcoming events due to the impossibility of ensuring the safety of all the athletes participating in them or that of the spectators attending the venues.
The "Finalissima," in the air
One of the events affected is the so-called "Finalissima." The men's national soccer teams of Spain and Argentina, as reigning champions of the European Championship and Copa America, were set to meet at Lusail Stadium, located in the city of Lusail, Qatar. The game was originally scheduled to take place on March 27.
However, the outbreak of war in the Middle East has led the Qatar Football Association to postpone all events, regardless of the competition they belong to, to be played on its territory until further notice, including the Finalissima.
"Qatar Football Association announces the postponement of all tournaments, competitions, and matches, effective from today and until further notice," the Qatari sports institution reported on March 1 via social media. Even so, at the expense of the evolution of the conflict, it is not entirely ruled out that the clash between Spain and Argentina will end up being held on Qatari soil.
The coach of the Spanish national team, Luis de la Fuente, requested a change of venue.
"We know that negotiations are underway. The first thing, as a society, is for the conflict to be stopped, but once you are immersed in it and you don't know how long it will drag on, the solution would be, as long as you can't play there, to look for another venue if possible," he said in an interview on Spanish public radio.
Soccer players flee Iran
The Iranian Football Federation has also decided to suspend its country's top competition, the Persian Gulf Pro League, for the duration of the conflict.
Due to this situation, several foreign players who play in the league have left the country. Examples are Spaniards Antonio Adán, Munir El Haddadi and Iván Sánchez.
"I took one of the last flights out of Tehran. It caught me leaving, just as it was all starting. It has given me time to get out of there and get to Madrid," said Adán, in statements made to Spanish public radio, adding that he has no plans to return to Iran.
Iran casts doubt on its participation in the 2026 World Cup
In statements made on Iranian public television, the federation's president, Mehdi Taj, maintained that they will evaluate the situation to see if they can participate without suffering reprisals, while calling the actions taken by the United States and Israel "brutality."
"It is not possible to say exactly, but there will certainly be a response. This will surely be studied by the country's top sports authorities and a decision will be made as to what will happen," Taj said. "But what we can say now is that because of this attack and its brutality, it is far from our expectations that we can look forward to the World Cup with hope."
Europe's top basketball competition also affected
In basketball, the Euroleague has also been hurt by the start of the conflict. Dubai Basketball, which plays the top European basketball competition at team level despite its geographical location, has been forced to request the postponement of its next game. The request was accepted by EuroLeague Basketball's governing body, which has also suspended another game on Israeli soil.
"EuroLeague Basketball has announced that the following EuroLeague Regular Season Round 30 games have been suspended: Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv – Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, scheduled to be played on Thursday, March 5. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade – Dubai Basketball, scheduled to be played on Thursday, March 5," the body said in a statement.
Tennis players stuck in the United Arab Emirates
However, the cancellation of upcoming events was not the only news concerning sports. The start of the conflict also caused several tennis players who played in the Dubai ATP 500 tournament, which concluded on Saturday, to be trapped in the United Arab Emirates, unable to leave the country.
"We can confirm that a small number of players and members of their teams are still in Dubai. They are staying in the official tournament hotels ... and we are in direct communication with those affected," the ATP, the top men's tennis body, said in a statement picked up by AFP. "The health, safety and well-being of our players, their equipment and staff are our priority."
One of those tennis players who is in the Middle East is Holger Rune, specifically in Doha, Qatar. The Norwegian player, No. 18 in the ATP ranking, indicated that he is doing well, while recovering from an injury he suffered to his Achilles tendon.
What will happen with Formula 1?
Another major sporting competition that could be altered is Formula 1. The new season of the premier motor racing category starts this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix.
However, the Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for the weekend of April 12 and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for the weekend of April 19. Both races take place in countries located in the heart of the region.
So far, Formula 1 management has not made a decision on whether to cancel or postpone both races, pending the evolution of the conflict in the Middle East. However, the president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Mohammed Ben Sulayem, stated that "safety and welfare" will guide the decision making. It is also unknown what will happen with the Qatar Moto GP Grand Prix, scheduled for April 12.
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