France vs. Iraq becomes first World Cup match delayed by weather: What are the rules?

The Athletic has live coverage of Portugal vs Uzbekistan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

PHILADELPHIA — Thunderstorms interrupted Monday’s World Cup game between France and Iraq on Monday, the first match at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico to be disrupted by weather.

At halftime at Lincoln Financial Field, France held a 1-0 lead after Kylian Mbappe scored his third goal of the tournament, before it was confirmed the restarting of the game for the second half would be delayed.

The initial guidance was there would be a minimum of a 30-minute delay, a FIFA official confirmed to The Athletic, including the 15 minutes for the halftime break.

A further statement from world soccer’s governing body said “the situation is still being observed to determine if further delays are anticipated” and that it would “follow the safety protocols established by the local authorities” and that the match “will resume as soon as it is safe to do so”.

The game was ultimately paused for more than two hours and did not restart until 8 p.m. local time. The second half did not include a mid-half hydration break.

Following the game’s resumption, Mbappe scored again — his 16th career World Cup goal — before Ousmane Dembele added a third to seal a 3-0 victory.

Waiting out the rain delay at Philadelphia Stadium

A flood watch in the Philadelphia area went into effect at 2 p.m. ET, warning of heavy rain and severe storms. The stadium delayed gates opening due to brief rain at that time, but it cleared up shortly thereafter, and the game started on time at 5 p.m.

The teams played through heavy rain, which began at about 5:30 p.m., until impending thunderstorms at halftime prompted instructions on the stadium screens for supporters to seek shelter.

A 131-minute delay followed as storms brought heavy rain, high winds and lightning. The initial hope was that play would restart at 7 p.m. local time but a thunderstorm watch was in place until 9 p.m. and, as The Athletic’s weather expert Aaron Mentkowski reported, two further lines of storms appeared near the stadium with the second arriving at around 7.30 p.m., delaying further attempts at a restart before the eventual resumption.

“We played cards,” Didier Deschamps joked when asked how his team spent the extended interval. “No, we were waiting. We had these slots that kept being pushed back. What was important for me and (Iraq coach) Graham (Arnold) was that we had time to do another warm-up, so there was no risk to the players.

“There was a lot of rain and that made the pitch very heavy. It was the first time that this has happened to me but it happens. OK, it was a long match and we have another one in four days, but the most important thing is we have six points and have qualified for the next round.”

“It’s a question of safety, it is what it is,” he added. “You can’t fight rain and lightning. There is always a risk it will happen and you have to observe the local rules. You just have to adjust.”

Severe weather elsewhere in the U.S. north east saw New York City also issue a travel advisory before the 8 p.m. ET match between Norway and Senegal at MetLife Stadium.

What is the weather-delay protocol?

U.S. thunderstorm protocol is based on the recommendations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which dictates that matches must be suspended if lightning or electrical discharge is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium. Fans will be evacuated to safe shelter inside the venue, while players and staff will leave the pitch and head to the dressing rooms.

There must be no further lightning strikes detected within an eight-mile radius for a full 30 minutes before play is permitted to resume. If there is another strike, the clock resets to 30 minutes.

If storms occur within the radius less than 30 minutes before the game is due to begin, kick-off will also be delayed.

FIFA, global football’s governing body, is not responsible for the thunderstorm protocol and it cannot override it.

Can games be called off?

There is no cut-off point for a suspension, meaning that games could be paused or kick-off could be delayed for hours before it is deemed safe for the players to take to the field.

This means that there is no regulation in place for how long a game can be delayed or suspended before it is postponed, though FIFA will assess the situation on a case-by-case basis.

In a 48-team tournament, postponing a game could cause significant scheduling issues, especially if the final group games are affected. The final round of matches in each group all kick off at the same time — to ensure that no team has an advantage by knowing how many points they require to progress — though this would be disrupted if the starts are delayed.

What has FIFA said?

Last month, the governing body issued a statement that read: “FIFA’s emergency preparedness team meets regularly with national meteorological and emergency management authorities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as with partners across all 16 host cities.

“A comprehensive, tournament-wide preparedness exercise focusing on severe weather scenarios has further strengthened cross-agency coordination and operational readiness.

“Stadiums are required to maintain robust risk management and evacuation procedures, including lightning and severe weather protocols aligned with local legislation and international best practice.”

Has this happened before?

At the Club World Cup in the U.S. last summer, several games were affected by weather delays. Eventual champions Chelsea’s game against Benfica in Charlotte, North Carolina, was interrupted by what FIFA described as “severe weather in the area” and took four hours and 38 minutes to complete. Then-Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca described it as a “joke”.

Messages on the big screen at the Bank of America Stadium read: “Seek cover protocol. Severe weather in the area. Seek cover.”

Another of Benfica’s games at the tournament, this time against Auckland City in Orlando, Florida, was delayed by two hours due to thunderstorms in the area. Auckland also had a 40-minute delay against Boca Juniors in Nashville, Tennessee. By the time the players returned, Boca Juniors had already been eliminated.

England and Costa Rica played a warm-up game before this year’s World Cup that was scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. ET (9 p.m. BST), though it was delayed by an hour due to torrential rain and the threat of thunderstorms in the area.

Spot the pattern. Connect the terms

Find the hidden link between sports terms