Why are FIFA World Cup 2026 matches always kicking off late?
(Courtesy : Getty)
None of the eight FIFA World Cup matches so far this year has kicked off at their scheduled time.
48 teams, 104 matches, two months – the FIFA World Cup 2026 is, in all aspects, the biggest iteration of the quadrennial tournament in its 96-year history. Yet, one thing that the football governing body has not been able to achieve this year is making sure that the games kick off at their scheduled time.
According to a BBC report, none of the eight matches played in the tournament so far has kicked off on time, with an average delay of three minutes between the scheduled and actual kick-off.
The worst offender was the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, which started a whopping six minutes past its scheduled kick-off time of 12:30 AM IST. The matches on June 13 were equally delayed: Qatar’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland started five minutes late, while Scotland’s match against Haiti was behind by two-and-a-half minutes.
According to the figures released by the BBC, only two FIFA World Cup 2026 matches have kicked off with a delay of less than a minute from their scheduled time: the second match between Czechia and South Korea (51 seconds) and Australia vs Turkiye (40 seconds).
Also Read: Why was FIFA World Cup 2026 opener kick-off delayed by five minutes?
World Cup’s delayed kick-off times
| Match | Delay |
| Mexico vs South Africa | 6 minutes |
| South Korea vs Czechia | 51 seconds |
| Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 2 minutes 22 seconds |
| USA vs Paraguay | 2 mins 19 seconds |
| Qatar vs Switzerland | 4 minutes 53 seconds |
| Brazil vs Morocco | 4 mins 27 seconds |
| Haiti vs Scotland | 2 mins 42 seconds |
| Australia vs Turkiye | 40 seconds |
Why are FIFA World Cup games starting late?
The BBC report blamed delays by the players as the main reason for matches starting later than planned. FIFA maintains a strict schedule of exactly when the players are supposed to take to the pitch, the pre-match rituals, and the eventual kick-off.
However, in reality, some players have been late in getting ready and being present in the tunnels, which has resulted in the teams coming onto the pitch late. This was seen during the Haiti vs Scotland match, where the Caribbean nation’s players had to be hurried along by a FIFA official towards the tunnels, resulting in a 90-second delay in their arrival.
Another reason is that the new pre-match routine of having the entire squad – starting XI and bench players – come out on the pitch for an extravagant anthem ceremony before every game has resulted in slight delays.
FIFA’s new ritual sees both sets of squads standing around the centre circle, flanked by giant flags of their respective nations that span the width of the pitch. FIFA said that the ceremony provides a “moment of unity, pride and emotion”, but staging it before the matches is a logistical challenge that has led to delays.
Which FIFA World Cup 2026 match had the longest delay?
The Mexico vs South Africa opener started six minutes late, the worst delay so far.
Which FIFA World Cup 2026 matches had minimal delays?
Only two matches had delays under a minute: South Korea vs Czechia (51 seconds) and Australia vs Turkiye (40 seconds).
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.