The concluding matches in each World Cup group are scheduled to begin simultaneously.

However, potential weather disruptions could pose a major challenge for FIFA during the last round of group-stage fixtures.

The final two games in each group are set to be played between Wednesday evening and the early hours of Sunday morning BST, with many teams’ qualification hopes still hanging in the balance.

According to FIFA’s regulations, the final group-stage matches in the World Cup must start at the same time to prevent any team from knowing beforehand what result they require to progress. Yet, this rule does not guarantee that all matches will conclude simultaneously.

The tradition of simultaneous kick-offs for the last group matches dates back to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, introduced following the notorious ‘Disgrace of Gijón’ incident during the 1982 tournament in Spain.

In that controversial encounter, West Germany defeated Austria 1-0 — a result that ensured both teams advanced at the expense of Algeria, who had already completed their group fixtures. After West Germany scored in the 10th minute, both sides appeared to make little effort to alter the scoreline, sparking outrage across the footballing world.

In response, FIFA implemented measures to prevent similar occurrences. Article 12.4 of the official World Cup 2026 regulations clearly states: “The last two matches in each group shall have simultaneous kick-off times on the same day, unless stipulated otherwise by FIFA (e.g. in cases of force majeure).”

Nevertheless, reports from The Times suggest that FIFA currently lacks a contingency plan if adverse weather leads to delays during the final round of group fixtures — a situation that could potentially benefit certain teams.

On Monday night, France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq in Philadelphia was heavily impacted by a thunderstorm, resulting in a two-hour delay at half-time as play was suspended until conditions were deemed safe for resumption.

If such circumstances were to occur during the decisive group-stage matches, the corresponding fixture in the same group would not be halted to ensure simultaneous completion. Consequently, teams involved in the delayed game would gain insight into the outcomes required for qualification before resuming play.

In the extreme case where a match is abandoned due to severe weather, World Cup regulations dictate that the game would restart at a later date from the exact minute it was stopped — allowing both teams to reassess and potentially adjust their strategies.

This rare scenario could directly influence teams like England and Scotland, both of whom are aiming to secure progression to the knockout stage in their final group encounters.

England’s Group L match against Panama in New Jersey kicks off at 10pm BST on Saturday, simultaneously with Croatia’s meeting with Ghana in Philadelphia. Thomas Tuchel’s side currently top Group L, holding a slender advantage over the African team on goal difference.

Scotland, meanwhile, face Brazil in Miami at 11pm BST tonight and currently sit third in Group C, trailing second-placed Morocco by a single point. Morocco are set to play Haiti in Atlanta in their concluding group fixture.