With the 2026 FIFA World Cup right around the corner, you would expect fans to be celebrating and getting ready, but rather than celebrating, fans are wondering if there will even be a World Cup this year. Due to the conflict in the Middle East, cartel violence, and USA federal funding, the 2026 World Cup is left uncertain. 

Conflict in Iran

After the USA and Israel launched a strike on Iran and killed the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the USA and Israel officially declared war on Iran. This leaves fans looking for an indication of whether Iran will participate in the World Cup or not. Although nothing has been said on behalf of Iran on their participation, Iranian fans will have trouble traveling to the USA with the travel ban that President Trump has imposed. 

Cartel Violence in Mexico

With cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes being killed, there has been a spike in group armed violence since. This leads countries to raise concerns over safety and security. Primarily around the 4 games in the state of Jalisco, where most of the violence is. Both the president of Mexico and the president of FIFA have expressed that they have confidence in hosting a safe and secure environment around these games.

USA Federal Spending

Lastly, all 11 American cities that are hosting the World Cup have yet to get the $625 Million in federal funding that they need to host. This funding was supposed to come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA has stated that they were on the verge of the final stages, but due to the partial government shutdown, many FEMA staff had to go on administrative leave. This has many fans worried because if the cities aren’t able to get the funding needed, it could cause a catastrophic effect on the World Cup’s plans.

Due to these conflicts, this leaves fans uncertain about a 2026 World Cup.