World Cup Chief Says Tournament 'Too Big' to Postpone Amid Global Turmoil

FIFA official cites plans to move forward with 48-nation World Cup despite U.S.-Israel war with Iran and other global challenges.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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FIFA's World Cup chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi said the tournament is 'too big' to be postponed despite global turmoil caused by the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. Schirgi said FIFA is closely monitoring the situation and working with partners, but the World Cup will go on as scheduled starting June 11 across 11 U.S. venues plus sites in Mexico and Canada.

Why it matters

The expanded 48-team World Cup is one of the biggest global sporting events, and FIFA is determined to proceed despite geopolitical tensions and a travel ban on several participating nations. The tournament's ability to bring people together globally is seen as important, though concerns remain about affordability of tickets and the impact of the Iran war.

The details

Schirgi said FIFA is in constant contact with Iran's soccer federation for updates, though he did not share details. The tournament will take place across 11 U.S. venues plus 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada, despite a U.S. travel ban on 4 qualified nations - Iran, Ivory Coast, Haiti and Senegal. FIFA recently added a 48-hour window for ticket sales after criticism over high prices, ranging up to $8,680 for the best seats.

  • The 48-nation World Cup is scheduled to begin on June 11, 2026.
  • FIFA announced plans for the World Cup fan festival in Dallas that will operate for 34 days during the tournament.

The players

Heimo Schirgi

FIFA's World Cup chief operating officer who said the tournament is 'too big' to be postponed despite global turmoil.

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What they’re saying

“If had a crystal ball I could tell you now what is going to happen, but obviously the situation is developing. It's changing day by day and we are monitoring closely. We're working together with all our federal partners and also our international partners in evaluating the situation, and we basically take it day by day and at some stage we will have a resolution. And the World Cup will go on obviously, right? The World Cup is too big and we hope that everyone can participate that has qualified.”

— Heimo Schirgi, FIFA World Cup Chief Operating Officer (wbal.com)

What’s next

FIFA officials will continue to closely monitor the global situation and work with partners to ensure the World Cup proceeds as scheduled starting June 11, 2026.

The takeaway

Despite geopolitical tensions and concerns over ticket affordability, FIFA remains committed to hosting the expanded 48-team World Cup, viewing it as an opportunity to bring the world together through the global sport of soccer.