Mexico, Iran, and the US: Escalating Conflicts That Could Compromise the FIFA World Cup

This year’s political conflicts have marked soccer in many different ways. With teams boycotting games in the US and the IOC ‘looking into’ FIFA’s donation of 50 million dollars to Gaza. This time, the focus turns to Iran and Mexico, the former being the target of current military actions by the US and Israel. Mexico, on the other hand, is experiencing severe waves of street violence following the strategic dispatch by Mexican State Forces of the country’s most prominent cartel leaders. Since the US and Mexico are both set to host the FIFA World Cup this upcoming June, organizers and fans alike are concerned about the implications and dangers that the global event might bring.

Just earlier this Saturday, Iran was targeted by the US and Israeli militaries in an affront that concluded with the death of the Middle Eastern nation’s executive leader. The Iranian military has, since then, sought retaliation against Israel and US military bases in the Gulf Region. In the realm of soccer, Iran had qualified for the World Cup after tying 2-2 against Uzbekistan. The team, which is set to play three games on American soil, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, might see its participation compromised by the current events. As of now, all Iranian nationals are banned from traveling to the US, a restriction that exempts all athletes and their supporting delegations. FIFA stressed that they wanted to include everyone in the World Cup, an effort that has been facilitated through the fast-tracking of visas that might otherwise take several months for players and fans. Fans should expect more updates in the upcoming weeks.

In Mexico, the conditions aren’t much better. Last week, an organized action by Mexican State forces in collaboration with American intelligence led to a wave of cartel violence in the state of Jalisco, which resulted in the death of about 70 people. Destroyed streets and burnt cars were part of the urban landscape in several regions of Mexico, sparking concern from multiple organizations across the world. Fortunately, no new attacks have been recorded since Monday, which seems to justify FIFA’s confidence in not moving the World Cup from Mexico. The decrease in tensions, along with the lifting of the ‘code red’ in the affected provinces, supports the idea that fans and players have nothing to worry about. If peace is sustained in Mexico, there should be no issues carrying out the planned games in the country.

All the problems of the world find their way back to soccer, a growing cultural backbone for many different countries. With the USA being increasingly more of a soccer nation, any issue concerning America and another country brings tensions to the field. The dream is to make soccer an unbiased bubble, a safe haven for those seeking to escape reality for 90 non-consecutive minutes. Of course, the possibility of this actually happening is slim; however, as fans, we should strive to create an atmosphere as idyllic as possible. Hopefully, this June, we get to experience good soccer, nothing more, nothing less.