100 Days To Go: World Cup Countdown Eclipsed By Security Concerns

BERLIN, March 3 (Bernama-dpa) - In 100 days, on June 11, the 2026 World Cup will kick off in Mexico, who's co-hosting the tournament with the United States and Canada, reported German news agency dpa.

But the build-up to the football festival has been overshadowed by social, security and political concerns, including the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and the recent wave of violence in Mexico.

How realistic is a World Cup boycott?

After the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Saturday, football ruling body FIFA said it's monitoring the situation and that the priority is to ensure that the World Cup runs safely and that all qualified teams can participate.

Iran are scheduled to play group stage matches against Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt in the US, but Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj said that "after this attack, we can't look forward to the World Cup."

Iran have already boycotted the group stage draw, which took place in Washington last December, because the US visa allegedly refused to grant visas to three of their officials. It's unclear whether they would boycott the World Cup as well.

In case the nation decides to withdraw from the tournament at least 30 days before the first match, the federation will have to pay a fine of around 250,000 (US$318,300).

If they decided to abandon the World Cup less than 30 days before the first match, the minimum fine will be around 500,000 Swiss francs.

In addition, Iran would have to repay all funds received from FIFA.

Following the death of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, there's been a wave of violence in several states, including in Jalisco, where World Cup venue Guadalajara is located.

Heavily armed security forces were deployed and at least 74 people died amid the unrest.

However, President Claudia Sheinbaum has guaranteed that football fans will be safe in Mexico and FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he has "complete confidence" in the country.

Mexico will host 13 matches, including the opening game.

Local officials at 11 host venues in the US have recently warned that the security and the organisation of the 2026 World Cup could be jeopardised by a partial budget freeze.

They said that they lack federal funds in the three-digit million range.

Miami, for example, needs around $70 million by the end of March, otherwise events such as the fan fest will have to be cancelled according to Ray Martinez, chief operating officer of the World Cup organising committee in the city. 

Joseph Mabin, deputy police chief of Kansas City, also warned that the lack of funds could mean there would not be enough personnel to ensure security during the tournament.

Yes, and there will be at least a fourth sales phase in which fans can apply for tickets. This is expected to open in April, but FIFA hasn't announced an specific time frame.

So far, demand has been huge. At the beginning of the year, FIFA said that it received over 500 million ticket requests. The high prices do not seem to be deterring fans.

Extremely unrealistic. The debate was triggered by tensions between the US and European NATO countries over US President Donald Trump's suggestions to take over Greenland and the military operation in Venezuela in early January.

The brutal actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of Trump's immigration crackdown has already resulted in the death of two US citizens and also sparked political debate.

But the German government has clearly rejected calls for a boycott: "Sport must not be exploited for this purpose," said State Minister for Sport Christiane Schenderlein. German Football Federation sporting director Rudi Völler, meanwhile, described the debate as "pointless."

--BERNAMA-dpa