The rapid escalation of the Middle East crisis has left several footballers and athletes stranded as major airports in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remain paralyzed by flight cancellations.
Following the military strikes involving Iran, Israel, and the U.S. that began on February 28, 2026, the closure of key airspace has transformed one of the world’s most active sporting corridors into a zone of uncertainty.
High-profile stars, including Captain and forward for Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo, and former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, are reportedly caught in the web.
The disruption has hit the football world particularly hard. Troost-Ekong, who recently signed with Qatari side Al Ahli SC, is among several expatriate players unable to leave the region as Qatar Airways and Emirates ground their fleets.
According to regional media, Iran launched strikes targeting strategic locations following what it described as coordinated attacks involving the United States and Israel.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence later confirmed that its air defence systems intercepted incoming missiles as part of a pre-approved security plan.
As a safety measure, Qatar and neighbouring countries temporarily closed their airspace. The decision left many expatriates, travellers, and professional athletes stuck inside the country, including players competing in the Qatar Stars League.
The situation isn’t limited to Doha; in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, icons like Marco Verratti, Philippe Coutinho, and Julian Draxler are also said to be stranded by the Middle East crisis.
Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, and Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, are important hubs for travel between Europe, Africa, and Asia. The three airports were all directly hit by Iranian strikes over the weekend. Along with people planning to head to or from the region, travellers who were passing through on multi-leg flights also found themselves stuck.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that contrary to reports that Ronaldo has been able to leave Saudi Arabia for Madrid, Spain, transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano has maintained that the superstar striker is still in Saudi Arabia.
According to reports on Tuesday, the 41-year-old departed Riyadh late at night aboard his £61 million ($81 million) Bombardier Global Express 6500 private jet.
“Riyadh, where Ronaldo lives with his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their five children, has been affected by attacks linked to the regional conflict,” the report said.
However, Romano tweeted: “Reports on international media about Cristiano Ronaldo who left Saudi Arabia with his family are wide of mark. It’s a fake news as Cristiano is now doing treatment at Al Nassr training ground after issues in last game. Cristiano has not left Saudi to return to Madrid.”
While some repatriation flights have managed to depart the UAE, the vast majority remain cancelled.
Posting on X on Tuesday, Flightradar24 said cancellations across seven major Middle East airports – Dubai International, Hamad International Airport in Doha, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah International Airport, Kuwait International Airport, Bahrain International Airport, and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International – have now exceeded 12,300 flights from 28 February until 3 March.
The statement from Flightradar24 reads: “Cancellations across seven major Middle East airports (DXB, DOH, AUH, SHJ, KWI, BAH, DWC) have now exceeded 12,300 flights.
Feb 28: 1,400+ flights
March 1: 3,400+ flights
March 2: 3,400+ flights
March 3: 3,300+ flights
March 3: 800+ flights”
