Why was there a minute’s silence before the 2026 FIFA World Cup match between Norway and France?

The players held a minute’s silence before kick-off during France’s final group stage match against Norway at the 2026 World Cup in Boston.

The gesture was to pay respect to the people who died during the recent earthquake in the South American country of Venezuela.

There was also a moment of silence before the start of the matches in the other match in Group I between Senegal and Iraq. It is expected that the remaining four matches until Friday will also follow the same protocol.

Two serious earthquakes, measuring more than 7.1 on the Richter scale, hit the country earlier this week. The death toll stood at 920 as of Friday, with more than 3,000 people injured.

Published on June 27, 2026