FIFA president Gianni Infantino. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) three-day meet from March 25 to 27 in Doha, Qatar has been postponed in the wake of the ongoing conflict involving U.S., Israel and Iran

A file image of South Africa’s Quinton De Kock and David Miller.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Iraq’s participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-off Tournament, that will decide the final two teams for the competition, is under serious threat as chaos escalates in the West Asia region.

The inter-confederation play-offs take place from March 26 to 31 in Monterrey, Mexico with six teams fighting out for the final two spots for FIFA World Cup that takes place across the United States, Mexico and Canada this summer.

**FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-offs: Format, teams qualified, dates – all you need to know**

As Iran and US combined with Israel continue to exchange strikes, the airspace in most parts of the Gulf region has been shut leading to travel plans going awry. Iraq’s football team too is facing a big problem due to the war and it could lead to them not participating in the play-offs.

Iraq’s airspace to remain close for at least four weeks

Iraq Football Association (IFA) has received a letter from Iraq’s national airline, Iraqi Airways, and the Ministry of Transportation that the country’s airspace will be shut down for at least four weeks. According to a report in the Guardian, this would leave around 40 percent of Iraqi squad to unable to travel to Mexico.

An alternative route has reportedly been suggested where these players will have to travel 25 hours by road to Turkey but even that route will be not safe amid the conflict.

To make matters worse, Guardian reports that a number of Iraq’s players and backroom staff are yet to receive visas for Mexico or the United States. With several embassies in the region shut down due to conflict, it will be hard to process visa applications in the limited time even if the airspace opens up.

The IFA is currently in crisis talks with FIFA who have reportedly stated that the play-offs will go ahead as planned.

Iraq’s World Cup dream in doubt

Despite conflicts raging at home, Iraq had made it to the play-offs and now remain just win away from booking a slot in the FIFA World Cup. The winner of the Bolivia vs Suriname match will face Iraq in the match which will decide who goes to the tournament.

In fact, Iraq could also qualify for the World Cup if Iran withdrew due to the recent war. They are the next highest-ranked team based on the Asian Football Confederation qualifying tournament and would advance to the tournament if lran walks out. However, with visa delays and air travel restrictions in place, their hopes of getting to the World Cup are in serious trouble.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia or has he left for Spain? This is the question on the mind of his fans as uncertainty looms over where the Al Nassr star currently is amid the conflict in West Asia that started Saturday, February 28 after US and Israel launched strikes across Iran. In reply, Iran has attacked American bases in the Gulf region with Saudi Arabia also among the countries under attack.

Airspace across the Gulf region was closed for a few days with some respite slowly coming now but situation continues to remain tense. The closure of airspace led to several sportspersons getting stuck in the region which is a transit hub to travel to different parts of world.

Did Ronaldo leave Riyadh?

Ronaldo’s whereabouts amid the attacks also became a talking point as reports emerged that his private plane had left Riyadh for Madrid.

Flight tracking platforms on Monday showed a Bombardier Global Express 6500, Ronaldo’s customised jet, leaving Riyadh around 8:00 PM local time. The platforms recorded that the plane had touched down in the Spanish capital shortly after midnight on Tuesday.

This led to claims that the Portuguese star had fled Saudi Arabia due to conflict. The timing of the flight also added credibility to this claim.

Al-Nassr’s clarification on Ronaldo

Preparation begins for #NassrNeom ⏳💛 pic.twitter.com/SgiGPgGF2F

— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) March 2, 2026

While the speculations of Ronaldo leaving Saudi Arabia were rife, Al-Nassr posted a photo of him working out in their ‘House of Nassr’ training camp. The Portuguese star was seen training in that photo.

The club also revealed that Ronaldo had suffered a hamstring injury during their 3-1 win against Al-Fayha in the Saudi Pro League. Reports suggest the 41-year-old could be sidelined for between two and four weeks

“He (Ronaldo) started a rehabilitation program and will be under evaluation day by day,” the club said in a statement.

So, Ronaldo is still in Saudi Arabia as he recovers from his injury.

ATP’s Fujairah Challenger tournament in UAE had to be abruptly halted as an oilfield just 9 km away from the venue caught fire amid the escalation in conflict in the Gulf region following US and Israel’s combined strikes in Iran which has invited retaliatory action by the Islamic Republic across the region.

A video of Belarusian Daniil Ostapenkov and Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka scrambling for shelter after a public announcement went viral on social media. Ukrainian player Vladyslav Orlov said that during a match he heard jets flying overhead.

I’ve watched a lot of challenger tennis. This is the scariest thing I’ve seen on court pic.twitter.com/yckUehRnkS

— RacketRisk (@RacketRisk) March 3, 2026

The play was suspended and ultimately the tournament was cancelled due to the conflict. It became the latest sporting event to be cancelled or postponed in the wake of the bombings in the region.

The Qatar Football Association has announced the suspension of all football matches in the country indefinetly. This puts the high-profile Finalissima match between Spain and Argentina, scheduled for March 27 in Doha, in serious doubt.

Iran’s top division football competition, the Persian Gulf Pro League, has also been suspended indefinitely while the AFC Champions League Elite matches in the region have been postponed.

England Lions’ cricket tour ended midway

England had sent a developmental cricket team to UAE to play Pakistan’s similar team but it had to be cancelled midway through the tour due to the strikes. The two teams had played three T20s and one One-Day match with four of the 50-over clashes remaining. However, the tour was suspended. England Women’s planned T20 camp in Abu Dhabi has also been scrapped.

Afghanistan were supposed to play Sri Lanka in the UAE from March 13 but that series also seems to be on its way to cancellation or postponement.

World Endurance Championship postponed

World Endurance Championship (WEC) 2026 season opener in Qatar has been shifted to Imola as the race in Doha has been postponed indefinitely. While F1 season opener in Australia is expected to go ahead as scheduled, races in the Gulf region next month could be impacted if the situation does not improve.

The escalation in conflict in the Gulf region has led to disruption in travel plans and sports events too are witnessing impact. As many as 16 Indian wrestlers are currently stranded in Albania due to the closure of airspace in the Middle East.

The United World Wrestling Ranking Series took place in Tirana in Albania where the wrestling contingent is currently staying put due to effects of the conflict between US-Israel and Iran.

Wrestlers safe in Albania

India won seven medals at the series, but the return of the team is now awaited. The team has informed that the wrestlers are safe.

“We had come to Tirana for the senior ranking series. But because of the strikes in Dubai, our flights were cancelled (connecting flights). As a result, we stayed back in Tirana, close to the airport. We currently have no issues here,” Manjeet Rani, the women’s team coach, said in a video message.

Also, Indian basketball team is stuck in Doha, Qatar after its FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifier match against Lebanon was postponed due to the unfolding scenario in the region.

Star Indian shuttler
PV Sindhu too was stranded in Dubai on her way to Birmingham. She returned to India on Tuesday but will miss the All England Championships.

The departure of West Indies and Zimbabwe cricket teams from India is also delayed due to the same reason.

F1 forced to change travel plans

The conflict between US-Israel and Iran is having ripple effects on Formula 1’s planning. The first race of the season takes place this weekend in Australia and F1 has put in emergency plans to bring the staff members.

According to a report in the BBC, close to 1,000 members of staff have been forced to rearrange flights, with almost 500 of them set to be flown to Australia on chartered planes from Europe.

Australian Formula 1 chief Travis Auld has said that “everyone will be here (in Australia) ready for the race.”

The fourth and fifth races of the season are scheduled to take place in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next month and F1 said that it was currently ‘monitoring the situation’.