The 2026 World Cup could witness several fixtures disrupted by severe weather conditions across North America.

The Group Stage encounter between France and Iraq at the 2026 World Cup began at 9 p.m. British time this evening, with Kylian Mbappe netting the only goal of the first half.

The Real Madrid forward struck from the edge of the box after a clever cut-back from Michael Olise, firing the ball into the top corner with precision.

Unfortunately for France, who were looking to secure a place in the knockout rounds tonight, the match has faced repeated interruptions due to thunderstorms — raising the question, has a World Cup match ever been abandoned before?

In the build-up to football’s most prestigious international competition, there have been a few unusual instances of abandoned matches.

During the World Cup qualification stages — the precursors to the main tournament — several matches have been called off for various reasons.

One of the most notable examples occurred in 2021 when Brazil versus Argentina was halted just five minutes after kickoff due to a breach of quarantine regulations.

Health officials from Brazil intervened, objecting to the participation of three Argentine players whom they believed had violated COVID-19 protocols.

Before the match, four Argentina players based in England were ordered to quarantine by Brazilian authorities, but they failed to comply.

The players involved were reported to be Emiliano Buendia, Emi Martinez, Giovani Lo Celso, and Cristian Romero.

With three of them starting the match, officials had no option but to abandon the fixture after just five minutes of play.

Another qualifier was abandoned late in the game, just three minutes before full-time, due to crowd disturbances.

That match, between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, was goalless for the first 70 minutes before Malaysia broke the deadlock.

Saudi Arabia responded with two quick goals in the 73rd and 76th minutes, sparking unrest among home supporters who began throwing fireworks and flares onto the pitch.

Consequently, the Group A Asian Qualifying match was abandoned as both sets of players left the field and did not return.

In the lead-up to the 2014 World Cup, another qualifier had to be called off after officials deemed the pitch unplayable.

In a bizarre twist, the stadium’s retractable roof had been left open during heavy rainfall, causing waterlogging.

This was the first time since 1979 that an England match had been abandoned, with the fixture taking place in Warsaw.

Ironically, the rain had stopped by kickoff, but the pitch had already been rendered unfit for play hours earlier.

To make matters worse, English supporters were asked to remain in their seats after the game was called off, allowing local fans to leave first.

At the actual World Cup tournaments themselves, however, no match has ever been officially abandoned.

As France and Iraq edge closer to potentially becoming the first teams in history to experience such an outcome, there have been some near misses in previous editions.

Before England’s quarter-final clash against Sweden in 2018, there were concerns about extreme weather conditions.

The host city, Samara, faced a record-breaking heatwave in the days leading up to the quarter-final.

Temperatures soared beyond 36 degrees Celsius, the highest recorded in the city since 1954.

The heat was so intense that water pressure in the region reportedly dropped, prompting the local water authority to suggest that residents shower together to conserve water.

That statement, which later became a source of humour and confusion in the media, was later clarified by officials, putting to rest any fears that the quarter-final might be affected by the heatwave.

In contrast, torrential rain nearly forced the abandonment of the USA versus Germany match at the 2014 World Cup.

Heavy rainfall persisted for 12 hours leading up to the game, flooding major roads and causing chaos in Recife.

According to a CNN meteorologist, the rainfall over six hours amounted to 25% of the region’s usual monthly average.

As a result, both USA versus Germany and Ghana versus Portugal were in danger of being postponed or abandoned mid-match.

Despite the conditions, the crucial fixture went ahead as scheduled, with Germany winning 1-0 to top Group G.

Interestingly, France versus Iraq now finds a precedent in the United States for weather-related sporting interruptions, as seen during Chelsea’s Club World Cup clash with Benfica last summer.

That match was also delayed due to lightning strikes, forcing play to be halted for over 30 minutes.

Ultimately, the contest concluded nearly five hours later than planned, showing that football fans worldwide should not be surprised if similar disruptions occur during the 2026 World Cup.