How sport is being disrupted by the US-Israel war with Iran

DW News · Mar 2, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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The US-Israel war with Iran has caused many sporting events in the region to be postponed. The conflict is also affecting other events farther afield, largely by forcing changes to travel arrangements. Some questions cannot yet be answered. Iranian women kick off Women's Asian Cup campaign The 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup kicked off on Sunday – a day after the US and Israel began launching airstrikes on Iran, but also a long way away from the conflict, in Australia. On Day 2 of the tournament, on Monday, all eyes were on the Iranian team, one of 12 taking part in the Women's Asia Cup. The Iranian women took to the pitch as scheduled and there appeared to be no outward sign of the conflict raging in their homeland. South Korea dominated the football match from the outset, perhaps to have been expected given that they sit at 21st in the FIFA women's rankings, well above Iran at 68. South Korea won easily 3-0. Formula 1: Australian GP to go ahead. Formula 1 motor racing officials have sought to play down the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran on the 2026 season, which is to open with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday, March 8. "Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan and not in the Middle East ― those races are not for a number of weeks," an F1 spokesman said. "As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities." Australian Grand Prix and Formula 1 officials say next weekend's opening race is a go despite having to make some quick travel rearrangementsImage: Chris Putnam/ZUMA/IMAGO However, the conflict has the series scrambling to rearrange travel plans. Travis Auld, managing director of the Australian Grand Prix, estimated that the number of people linked to the race who had to make alternative plans was around 1,000. He said instead of flying to Australia via Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha, many had opted for Singapore or Hong Kong. Meanwhile, tire supplier Pirelli has said that its testing of wet weather tires planned for the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain over the weekend had been scrapped for safety reasons. Cricket: English team's match canceled, alternative T20 travel plans Sunday's match between the England Lions developmental team and the Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi was cancelled, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced ⁠Saturday. "The safety and security of ​our teams and staff is our top priority," the ECB said in a statement.The England Lions, a developmental team, saw their match in Abu Dhabi called off on the weekendImage: Richard Wainwright/AAP/IMAGO It also announced that while it was delaying the departure of the England women's team to Abu Dhabi next week, the men's team, currently playing in the Twenty20 World Cup, would travel from Sri Lanka to Mumbai ​for Thursday's semifinal against India as planned. The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Saturday said it was working on alternate flight plans for visiting players and officials seeking to return home from the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, due to the conflict. Basketball: Euroleague cancels under-18 tournament Euroleague Basketball ⁠announced ​the cancellation of the adidas NextGen EuroLeague qualifying ​tournament in Abu Dhabi, citing safety concerns. The eight-team competition was called off during the second quarter of the opening match between Monaco and Aris Thessaloniki. "After careful evaluation and ongoing ​consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders, it was determined that cancelling the event is the most responsible course of action at this time," ​the league said ⁠in a statement on Sunday. Domestic football leagues suspended, 'Finalissima in doubt' Several football associations in the region have announced that they have suspended play over the conflict. Among these were the Qatar FA, which postponed all matches from Sunday, and the Persian Gulf Pro League, Iran's top flight. The Israeli Premier League has also suspended play for the time being. Also on Sunday, Asian soccer's governing body postponed continental club championship playoffs scheduled in the Middle East for this week, saying AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 games would be rescheduled.The 'Finalissima' between Spain and Argentina is scheduled for March 27 in Lusail Stadium in Doha, QatarImage: David Ramos/Getty Images Meanwhile the "Finalissima" match slated for March 27 in Doha is in doubt. The contest is to pit European Championship winners Spain against ⁠Copa ⁠America champions Argentina. Paralympics: Iranian, Israeli athletes qualified One athlete each has qualified from Iran and Israel to represent their countries at the Paralympic Games in Milan Cortina, which open on Friday, March 6. Iran's Abolfazl Khatibi is a 23-year-old para-cross-country skier, while Israel's Sheina Vaspi, 24 is a para-alpine skier, who competed at the 2022 Paralympics in Bejing four years ago. It's not clear how the conflict could affect their participation. Men's football World Cup: Will Iran participate? Even as the women were playing their opening match at the Women's Asian Cup, the big question on football fans' minds all over the world is whether the Iranian men would do the same at this summer's World Cup. Iran's group matches are all scheduled to be held in the United States, with two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. The president of Iran's FA now says he can't yet say whether the team will take part. Edited by: Matt Pearson