 |
In Focus by The HinduAuthor: The Hindu
A podcast from The Hindu that delves deep into current developments with subject experts, and brings in context, history, perspective and analysis. Language: en Genres: News, News Commentary Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
What happens to the FIFA World Cup if Iran were to withdraw?
Wednesday, 25 March, 2026
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just months away, an escalating war in West Asia has put FIFA in an unprecedented bind. With co-host United States directly involved in the conflict, uncertainty now surrounds the participation of the Iran national football team. Iran’s request to move its matches to Mexico underlines how deeply geopolitics is beginning to affect the tournament. If Iran is forced to withdraw, it would be the first such instance since 1950, raising serious questions about precedent, fairness and the limits of sporting neutrality. In this episode of In Focus, we examine what this means for FIFA, the host nations and the World Cup itself. Guest: Vijay Lokapally, veteran sports journalist Host: Reuben Joe Joseph Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
