The football final between Spain and Argentina has been cancelled following the attacks on Iran.

BarcelonaThe military escalation between the United States, Israel, and Iran is already impacting the world of sports, just in time for the World Cup. The Qatar Football Association announced on Sunday that it is suspending all competitions within its borders due to the instability in the region. Spain and Argentina were scheduled to play a match. Final...as champions of Europe and America on March 27th. More than 80,000 tickets had been sold for this match scheduled at Lusail Stadium, but seeing how they drones Iranians fall in Qatar, the match has been suspended.

Various unofficial reports claim that the Iranian Football Federation has also informed FIFA that it will not participate in this summer's World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. With approximately 100 days until the tournament begins, FIFA must decide how to handle the situation. Iran was scheduled to play in Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt, debuting on June 15 against New Zealand in Inglewood, Los Angeles. Donald Trump imposed a travel ban on Iranian citizens last June, but made exceptions for "any athlete or member of a sports team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate family members, traveling for the World Cup, the Olympic Games, or any other sporting event." Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian Football Federation, explained to Iranian media that "with the US attack, it's unlikely we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports officials are the ones who must decide." If Iran withdraws, FIFA is considering sending the United Arab Emirates team to the World Cup, even though they were eliminated and finished behind Iraq. However, Iraq is scheduled to play a playoff this March to qualify for the World Cup, so to avoid disrupting the schedule of these matches, the UAE would be the preferred option. FIFA, which presented Donald Trump with a special peace award a few weeks ago, is monitoring the situation and has not yet announced a decision. It's worth noting that last week, drug-related violence also affected Mexican cities that are slated to host World Cup matches.

Leagues in the region have been suspended. Israel, Iran, Qatar, and the other countries involved have had to postpone matches scheduled from today onward due to the outbreak of the confrontation. Foreign athletes who were working in Iran are trying to escape the area, such as Emilio Álvarez, goalkeeping coach for Persepolis FC, who explained to the EFE news agency that he, along with members of coaching staff and foreign players from several clubs in the Iranian League, are trying to leave the country. Former Barcelona player Munir El Haddadi, who plays in Iran, explained how "we wanted to leave by plane, but since they closed the airspace, it wasn't possible. The club offered me a car to take me to the border, and we were able to get to Turkey." Others, like Antonio Adán, a former Real Madrid player now with Esteglal FC, were able to leave Tehran on Saturday before the airspace closed and are already in Madrid.

Basketball, affected

The EuroLeague announced yesterday that the postponed Round 21 game between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Paris Basketball, scheduled for March 3, has been suspended due to the "current situation" in Israel. The 'Next Generation' youth tournament, which was being held in Abu Dhabi featuring several of Europe's top under-18 teams, has also been suspended. Players from the participating teams, including Real Madrid and Valencia, are currently in their hotel awaiting the reopening of airspace so they can return to their respective countries. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) also postponed the remaining games in Asia for the second qualifying window for the 2027 Qatar World Cup on Saturday due to the situation in the Middle East.