The “Finalissima” clash between Spain and Argentina in Doha is in doubt after the Qatar Football Association suspended matches indefinitely following US and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian peninsula.
The contest between European Championship winners Spain and Copa America champions Argentina is scheduled for March 27 at Doha's Lusail Stadium, with potential big-name draws including Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
“Qatar Football Association announces the postponement of all tournaments, competitions and matches, effective from today and until further notice,” the association said in a statement on Sunday.
“The new dates for the resumption of competitions will be announced in due course through the Association's official channels.”
The final call on whether to postpone or move the game rests with event organisers Uefa and Conmebol.
A Uefa spokesperson told The National: “Uefa is monitoring and carefully assessing all developments of the situation in co-operation with Conmbebol and the LOC (local organising committee). We don’t have any further comment at this stage.”
The Spain-Argentina match is set to be the main event of the Qatar Football Festival, with the national teams of Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Serbia also slated to play matches in Doha.
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Football Association postponed all its matches until further notice and the Asian Football Confederation on Sunday announced it was delaying Champions League Elite fixtures in the region.
The Asian Champions League Two, currently at the quarter-final stage, has also been impacted, along with games in the Challenge League.
Beyond football, EuroLeague Basketball also announced the cancellation of the adidas NextGen EuroLeague qualifying tournament in Abu Dhabi.
“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.
However, other sports have been going ahead, including the Super Saturday horse racing event at Meydan Racecourse, which was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships concluded on Saturday, while a Challenger Tour event will go ahead as planned in Fujairah this week.
Countries across the Middle East have been on high alert since Saturday after the US and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, aimed at diminishing Iran's military capability.
Iran retaliated by attacking US targets around the region, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
