France vs Iraq World Cup match under threat from severe weather
| Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images |
France and Iraq are scheduled to meet at 23:00 CEST at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in their second World Cup group-stage match – but the game may not start as planned.
According to multiple reports, extreme weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, storms, intense lightning and isolated tornadoes, could lead to the game being postponed.
Due to the severe weather, play could be suspended, or the kick-off time could be moved. With thunderstorms forecast from 20:00 to 01:00 CEST, some reports suggest the match could be delayed until 02:00 CET.
Under FIFA rules, play must be interrupted and delayed if lightning is detected within 13 kilometres of the stadium. In this case, fans are also moved from the stands into the concourse or to an emergency shelter area. The match then can't resume until there have been 30 lightning-free minutes.
When asked about such a scenario, Lauren Lambrugo, chief operating officer of Philadelphia Soccer 2026, told the Daily Mirror:
“They’ll start to evacuate the stadium to the main concourse and seek emergency shelter.
“And then it has to wait 30 minutes before bringing everybody back on the field.
“They will make sure that the match is broadcast and played tomorrow."
Two Bayern Munich players, Dayot Upamecano and Michael Olise, are expected to start the match for France.
