Gianni Infantino insists World Cup will be a success despite Middle East war
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has insisted the upcoming World Cup in North America will be a “total party” despite escalating geopolitical tensions and conflict in the Middle East.
The tournament is scheduled to begin across the United States, Canada and Mexico on 11 June. Concerns have grown regarding travel and logistics following recent US military action involving Iran.
The Iranian national team have already qualified for the expanded 48-team competition. However, the 10-day conflict has caused significant regional disruption and cast doubt over their participation.
Unprecedented ticket demand
Despite the geopolitical backdrop, the head of world football’s governing body remains entirely optimistic about the event. He highlighted record-breaking interest from fans across the globe.
“The World Cup is going to be fantastic, phenomenal,” Infantino told Spanish outlet AS.
“In four weeks, we’ve had over 500 million ticket requests. This is incredible.”
The Swiss administrator revealed that only around seven million tickets are available in total for the 104 matches. Demand has massively outstripped supply ahead of the summer spectacle.
“All the stadiums are going to be packed – it’s going to be a total party,” he added.
Logistical challenges
The ongoing war has already begun to impact the final stages of the qualification process. National federations are struggling with severe travel complications.
The Iraqi Football Federation recently requested the postponement of their play-off fixture against either Suriname or Bolivia. That match is currently scheduled to take place in Mexico on 31 March.
Speculation remains that the Iranian squad could withdraw from the tournament entirely due to the crisis.
United States Soccer chief executive JT Batson recently reiterated his organisation’s commitment to hosting all qualifying nations safely.
“Fifa president Gianni Infantino shared over the weekend the intention of a safe and secure World Cup where all teams are participating,” Batson stated.
US president Donald Trump commented on the conflict on Tuesday, claiming the military situation was “very complete”.
