The qualifier of the World Cup suspended after the opening of the chasm on the ground

The game was stopped during the qualification of the World Cup in 2026 in Austria against Cyprus after a chasm suddenly appeared on the field at the end of the second half.

The bizarre incident occurred around the 75th minute, when Danish referee Jakob Kehlet interrupted the match after noticing the gaping hole near the Box of Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager at the Raiffeisen Arena, in Linz.

The opening was wide enough to swallow a whole football, which prompted the staff on the ground to rush with buckets of sand in a frantic attempt to spread it.

After more than seven minutes of repairs, Kehlet finally gave the green light to resume, Austria finally sealed a 1-0 victory thanks to the penalty of Marcel Sabitzer in the second half-marked before the ground yielded.

The victory means that Austria is now second in group H in qualification, after winning their three games so far, behind the unbeaten Bosnia and Herzegovine.

Remarkably, this is not the first time that Austrian football has been flirting with the earth that breaks. In 2022, a confrontation of the League of Nations against Denmark, which Austria lost 2-1, at the Ernst Happel stadium was also interrupted by a huge tar which opened on the ground.

At least, this time, Austria has still managed to dig up the three points – although someone may be calling a geologist before the next match.

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