FLASH
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FIFA has decided that the crucial group stage matches of the 2026 World Cup will not be interrupted to maintain synchronization with the other group matches, even if one of them is delayed due to weather conditions. The decision has sparked concerns that situations could arise that violate sporting equality, bringing back memories of the scandal known as the "Shame of Gijón".
Starting tonight, the final group stage matches will be played simultaneously, a decades-old practice to avoid team fights and ensure the integrity of the competition. However, according to Daily Mail Sport, if one match is abandoned due to weather, the other will continue as normal and will not be suspended.
In practice, this could lead to a situation where one match ends while the other is still ongoing. This way, the teams on the pitch for the delayed match will have full information about the outcome of the other match and will know exactly what result they need to qualify for the round of 32.
This scenario has brought back comparisons to the "Shame of Gijón", one of the most controversial episodes in World Cup history. In the 1982 World Cup, West Germany won 1-0 against Austria, a result that qualified both teams for the next round. After the goal scored early in the match, both teams were accused of avoiding any serious attempt to change the result, causing strong reactions in public opinion.
Although FIFA found no violations of the rules in that match, the controversy led to a change in the competition's format. Since then, the final matches of each group have been played at the same time to eliminate the possibility of collusion or tactical calculations.
FIFA has also announced that it will not impose time limits on matches that are interrupted due to weather. Every match will be restarted and played to completion, regardless of the length of the delay.
The first such interruption occurred on Monday in the match between France and Iraq, which was suspended at half-time due to storms, with France leading 1-0. The match resumed after nearly two hours and ended with the French winning 3-0. The match, which started at 17:00 local time, did not end until 20:47.
It remains to be seen whether the weather conditions will also affect the decisive group stage matches and whether this rule will bring new controversy about its impact on the qualification race.
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