Finalissima, F1 races: Middle East conflict disrupts global sports events

Multiple sports tournaments across the world, especially in the Gulf countries, have been hit by uncertainty at one of the busiest times of the year in the global sports calendar as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East rages on across the region.

When the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday and killed its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and several military bases in the Middle East where US forces operate.

Iranian missiles and drones have repeatedly targeted Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Manama ⁠and various parts of Saudi Arabia.

The ensuing conflict threw sports in the region and around the world into chaos, forcing the cancellation of several tournaments and the suspension of leagues, leaving athletes wondering what comes next.

Sports organisations and event organisers have scrambled to keep athletes, officials and fans safe from the attacks and their repercussions.

A tennis tournament in the United Arab Emirates was at the centre of the storm on Tuesday, when the ATP Challenger-level event in Fujairah was brought to a halt as falling debris from a drone interception ignited a fire at an oilfield approximately 13km (8 miles) away.

Two players – Belarusian Daniil Ostapenkov and Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka, who were on court in the middle of their match – were seen scrambling for shelter in videos posted on social media.

“I just finished my match in Fujairah, second round, but the play is suspended for today,” Ukrainian player Vladyslav Orlov said on Instagram.

“When I was playing, I heard the sound of the jets flying here and there. And there is smoke here, next to the mountain, so not very safe here right now.”

The tournament was subsequently cancelled, and an initial email sent to players from the Professional Tennis Players Association appeared to float the idea of a one-way charter flight home at the cost of $5,800 each.

There was no indication of how the players responded. But later, Belarusian player Ilya Ivashka wrote on Instagram: “Just got confirmation that all the people from the tournament in Fujairah will be evacuated with no cost. Everything completely covered. Class act @atptour.”

Ilya Ivashka screengrab-1772712226 — [Screengrab/Instagram]

Football leagues postponed, tournaments in doubt

The region’s most popular sport, football, has also faced disruption.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Wednesday that next week’s Asian Champions League matches scheduled in the Middle East had been postponed until further notice.

“The AFC’s priority remains the safety and security of all stakeholders including players, teams, officials, partners and fans and we are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring a secure environment for all,” the continental body said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the Qatar Football Association also suspended all matches in the country.

Qatar was also scheduled to host the Finalissima football match between Argentina and Spain this month, but European football body UEFA has said a decision on whether – and where – it will be played ⁠will not be taken until the end of next week.

The showpiece game between the Copa America holders and European ⁠champions had been scheduled for March 27 at Lusail Stadium in Doha, where Lionel Messi’s team lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy in 2022.

“Discussions are ongoing with the local organisers, who have made a tremendous effort to ensure the match is a success. A final decision is expected ⁠by the end of next week. At this stage, no ⁠alternative venue is being considered,” UEFA said in a statement to Reuters news agency.

In addition to the effect on ongoing and immediate tournaments, Iran’s participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 remains in doubt.

It also remains unclear whether Iraq will be able to travel for their playoff game, which could see them seal a spot for the June 11-July 19 tournament cohosted by Canada, Mexico and the US.

Iran are scheduled to play the winners of an earlier tie between Bolivia and Suriname in Mexico on March 31.

Motorsport season derailed

Qatar’s hosting of the opening race of motorsport’s World Endurance Championship (WEC) has also been pushed back to later this year.

The 1,812km (1,126 miles) race had been scheduled for March 26 to 28 at ⁠the Lusail International Circuit, which is also used by MotoGP and Formula One.

“With the safety and security of competitors, personnel and fans of the utmost importance, the decision has been taken to delay the event,” the WEC said in a statement.

The new Formula One season, which begins at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday, faced logistical difficulties as teams were forced to charter flights to get hundreds of essential personnel to Melbourne before Sunday’s race.

A quarter of the F1 workforce was due to travel through the Middle East hubs for the Grand Prix, according to several reports.

The races will move to the Gulf in April, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia hosting their Grands Prix in Sakhir and Jeddah, respectively.

The Jeddah circuit – located on the Jeddah waterfront – has dealt with a major security issue in the past.

In 2022, days before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, an oil storage facility 11km (7 miles) from the circuit was hit by a drone and missile attack by the Houthis. Smoke could be seen billowing from the circuit as drivers, teams and F1 organisers held an emergency meeting before eventually going ahead with the race.

The race will come under scrutiny once again, but Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who heads the global motorsport governing body FIA, has said safety will be their main concern when making a decision on whether those races go ahead.

“The FIA continues to monitor developments across the region and our thoughts remain with all those affected by these recent events as we hope for calm, safety and a return to stability,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Both races had already sold out all grandstand tickets in the week before the conflict started, with rescheduling them to later dates another logistical nightmare for the organisers.

“With 40 days to the race, it is too early to assess the impact that the regional situation may or may not have on the race weekend,” the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) authorities said in a statement.

“From an operational perspective, BIC continues its planning ‌for the race weekend and our dedicated team and offices at the circuit are working to that effect.”

Formula One is liaising closely with local authorities, as well as the British Foreign Office and the US State Department.