South Korea pulls out of Basra four-nation tournament; Russia eyes spot

BASRA, Iraq — South Korea has withdrawn from a four-nation international football tournament planned for Basra in November, citing financial demands tied to its participation, the Iraqi Football Association said. Despite an official invitation from the federation, the Korean side requested to be excused from the event. Russia's national team has signaled its readiness to take part and expressed interest in competing in Basra if the organization terms are finalized, the federation said. Iraqi officials described Russia's interest as a potential way to fill the gap left by South Korea and add a European-continent side to the lineup. The federation is working to raise the tournament's technical and commercial profile by ensuring professional players are available during a FIFA window. Jordan and Uzbekistan have also been identified as possible pullouts, as their national teams are drawn into the same group at the Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia, which could lead one of them to withdraw from the standalone tournament. The four-nation event is scheduled to be held within the international football calendar in Basra in November.