France vs Iraq halted by lightning as Fifa's World Cup 2026 weather protocol kicks in

France’s group-stage clash with Iraq at the 2026 World Cup was suspended at half-time in Philadelphia after lightning in the area triggered Fifa’s mandatory weather protocol, forcing players and fans off the pitch and into shelter.

Fifa is adhering to rules set by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which require any match to be halted if a lightning strike is detected within eight miles of a stadium. The protocol initiates a 15-minute countdown that resets with every subsequent strike; once the timer expires, players undergo a further 15-minute warm-up before returning to the pitch, meaning the minimum delay is 30 minutes.

The suspension came after what had already been the wettest half of football seen at this World Cup, with heavy rain drenching the Philadelphia venue before the storm intensified at the break.

The tournament — co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — is being staged during peak storm season across parts of all three countries, and the weather had already disrupted preparations. England’s pre-tournament friendly with Costa Rica was delayed by an hour after heavy rain and the threat of lightning in the Orlando area.

New York City, which had sweltered in mid-30s temperatures during the opening days of the competition, experienced heavy rainfall, thunder and lightning less than 24 hours before Brazil were due to face Morocco in New Jersey.

The situation echoes events at last year’s Club World Cup in the United States, where six matches were halted by electrical storms. Among them was a Chelsea vs Benfica fixture that kicked off at 4:38pm local time and did not finish until four hours and 38 minutes later.

Stadiums along the Gulf Coast and in the south-east of the United States are considered most vulnerable to thunderstorms, with Fifa assessing each disruption on a case-by-case basis.

The most significant logistical concern surrounds the final round of group-stage matches, where kick-off times are synchronised across each group to prevent any team gaining an unfair advantage by knowing exactly what result they need. A weather delay affecting one game but not the other could undermine that principle.

Should conditions become dangerous enough to force a full abandonment, World Cup regulations state the match would be replayed on a future date, restarting from the exact minute at which it was paused.