Armenia’s National Boxing Team Struggles to Reach Brazil for World Cup Opener

Armenia’s national boxing team found itself at the center of a logistical drama ahead of the first stage of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the Brazilian city of Iguazu.

According to the Armenian Boxing Federation, the athletes’ journey to the competition venue lasted nearly four days and was accompanied by numerous difficulties. Initially, the delegation was forced to remain in Frankfurt for two days due to strikes by Lufthansa airline employees and organizational disruptions.

Following intervention by the Sports Department, tickets were secured on the Frankfurt — São Paulo — Iguazu route. However, this flight also faced complications: a delay caused further loss of time, and the team had to urgently arrange new tickets for a domestic flight within Brazil.

Despite all the challenges, the Armenian boxers safely arrived at the tournament venue. Representatives from 49 countries will compete in the World Cup, making it one of the largest events in the World Boxing calendar.

The tournament draw will take place late in the evening on April 19 (early morning April 20, Yerevan time), while the bouts will begin on April 20, Brazilian time.

It should be noted that this is Armenia’s debut participation in the World Cup under the auspices of World Boxing — the country joined the organization only at the end of 2025.

Earlier, head coach of the Armenian national team, Rudik Mkrtchyan, had stated that the team should arrive in Brazil in advance to acclimatize, but the situation turned out to be exactly the opposite.