The World Cup qualifier match between Iran and Qatar, scheduled for October 15th in Mashhad, Iran, will not take place in the Islamic Republic due to the anticipation of Israel's response to the Iranian attack last week.
The current options being considered are switching home advantage or playing on a neutral ground, with Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Tashkent in Uzbekistan being proposed as alternatives. However, the Asian Football Confederation still needs to make a decision on this matter and will do so soon.
Lebanese Football Suspended: Impact of Regional Conflict on Sports
This is not the only match affected by the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East. On Monday of this week, the Lebanese Football Association announced that due to the war between Israel and Hezbollah and the situation in Lebanon, the Lebanese national team will not participate in the current October international window. Lebanon was supposed to travel to Vietnam and participate in a triangular friendly tournament with the local team and the Indian national team, as part of their preparation for the advanced stages of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. At the end of September, the Lebanese leagues were suspended after the first round, which opened in the shadow of the assassination of one of Hezbollah's leaders, Ibrahim Aqil. After the assassination of Nasrallah and the intensification of Israeli Air Force activity in Beirut and IDF operations in southern Lebanon, the curtain has also fallen on the national team's matches during the current break. Exactly one year since the October 7th war broke out, which led to Israel's withdrawal from the October 2023 international window, Lebanon is now setting aside its football.
The current war in Lebanon and the growing tension between Israel and Iran are not only affecting Lebanese and Israeli football, which is being played in empty stadiums from the Dan region northward. The war is triggering reactions across the Middle East and Asia, changing plans, cancelling games, and creating schedule chaos.
Missiles Over Isfahan: When Warfare Meets Football
Last Tuesday, the missiles that Iran fired at Israel hovered and passed over the skies of Isfahan, passing over the city's football stadium where an Asian Champions League 2 match was being played between Iran's Sepahan and Tajikistan's Istiklol Dushanbe. The missiles were documented by fans, creating a crazy but very realistic image of football in our region: football under missiles, literally.
This event triggered chain reactions across the Asian continent. Last Thursday, India's Mohun Bagan, which was supposed to travel last week to play against Tractor Sazi in Tabriz, Iran, cancelled its arrival, claiming that "the place is not safe for playing football." The Asian Football Confederation, in response, decided to disqualify them from the tournament, and the Indians, for their part, promised to appeal the decision.
The biggest name affected by the fear of Israel's response to Iran is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Al Nassr star approached the Saudi club's leadership with an update that he does not intend to travel to Iran in the current situation, ahead of the match against Esteghlal Tehran in the Asian Champions League. Ronaldo missed Al Nassr's first Champions League match held in Iraq due to a virus, but now the Portuguese star, who is in great form with 10 goals in 11 games this season for his Saudi team and the Portuguese national team, is working to move the match against the Iranian runner-up to a neutral ground, claiming there is no way to guarantee his safety in Iran. The Asian Football Confederation announced that the match between Esteghlal and Al Nassr will not be held in Iran. Sources in Iran report that it will likely be moved to Dubai.
Fan Reactions: Political Tensions Spill Over into Iraqi Football Stands
The war is not only causing schedule changes but also fan reactions. Last weekend, during matches of the Iraqi Premier League in stadiums in Baghdad, the capital, and in the city of Basra, fans displayed banners with the portrait of Hassan Nasrallah and messages of support for him, Hezbollah, and Lebanon. In Iraq, there is a large and very dominant Shiite population, and the messages of the Iranian axis are deeply ingrained in the population, reaching even the football stands.
While the Israeli national team hosts in Hungary and the Israeli league management sets new dates for the match between Maccabi Haifa and Beitar Jerusalem and considers holding the match of the season between the Maccabis of Tel Aviv and Haifa at Teddy Stadium, it seems that the current war and the moves Israel will make in Lebanon and Iran in the near future will affect not only Israeli football but also international football, from India to Kiryat Shmona.
Tensions rise ahead of Israel vs. Norway as politics, security, and World Cup hopes collide in a charged qualifier on Tuesday.