Overview
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino says more than 500 million ticket requests were logged in four weeks for roughly seven million available seats, with 77 of 104 matches drawing over a million requests.
- Chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi says the tournament is too important to postpone and that officials are evaluating security and logistics day by day with national and international partners.
- The Iraqi Football Federation has formally asked to delay its intercontinental playoff, citing Baghdad’s closed airspace and embassy disruptions that hinder player travel and visa processing.
- Iraq rejected a FIFA‑suggested workaround involving a road journey of more than 25 hours to Turkey before flying onward, calling the proposal dangerous and unrealistic.
- Infantino says President Donald Trump assured him Iran’s national team would be welcome in the United States, even as U.S. travel restrictions on several nationalities and regional conflict complicate participation and supporter travel.