Qatar has decided against hosting the finals of the 2028 Nations Championship. Organisers confirmed the move stems from uncertainty caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The withdrawal also ends a planned title sponsorship agreement for the new tournament with Qatar Airways. Both parties agreed to scrap the arrangement after months of negotiations.
The original deal would have seen Qatar stage the six-match final series in 2028 and 2032. It also included a title sponsorship for four editions of the competition with the national carrier.
The total value of the staging rights and title sponsorship was worth roughly eighty million pounds for each tournament held in Qatar. Officials from the Six Nations and four leading Sanzaar unions run the competition.
Organisers are confident those funds can be recouped through replacement deals. The initial write-off will not be severe, as the airline sponsorship accounted for fifteen million pounds of the total package.
An outline of the Qatar agreement was reached last year. However, United States airstrikes on Iran in March and subsequent regional escalations created complications.
The Qatari government chose not to implement the deal before the first matches in July due to sensitivity around the conflict. This left the tournament without a title sponsor for its inaugural edition.
Peace talks were hosted by Qatar last weekend, but the United States and Israel continue to threaten further strikes on Iran. These persistent security concerns led to the mutual agreement to cancel the contract entirely.
Regional conflict has curtailed sporting ambitions across Qatar and neighbouring nations, including Saudi Arabia. Uncertainty also surrounds the planned Formula One Grand Prix scheduled for the end of this month.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Qatar MotoGP is set to proceed despite a rider boycott over safety concerns. The tournament organisers noted that the Nations Championship is profitable in its first year without a title sponsor.
France and Spain have submitted informal expressions of interest to host the 2028 event. The Nations Championship plans to issue an invitation to tender at the start of next year, with Paris and the Stade de France viewed as the most likely venue.
