Here’s what FIFA says about the delay of the France vs Iraq World Cup match under First Alert.
FIFA has issued an Active Alert for Philadelphia ahead of the World Cup Group I game between France and Iraq, set to kick off at 10pm UK time (5pm local time).
Hot weather has been a big topic during the tournament, especially around FIFA’s hydration breaks. But this time, the worry is flash flooding, which is a real risk in the US—one of the World Cup hosts along with Canada and Mexico—during June and July. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), flash floods often happen within a few hours of heavy rain, with the busiest season between 2007 and 2017 also falling in these months.
Storms are expected around Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, right around the match time. FIFA rules say the game must stop if lightning strikes within eight miles of the stadium. Fans have to leave the stands, and players must leave the field to find shelter. Play can only resume after no lightning has been seen for 30 minutes, and teams are allowed a short warm-up once that happens.
A First Alert warning is in place for parts of Philadelphia Monday afternoon and evening, with NBC10 Philadelphia warning of possible heavy rain, strong winds, and even a chance of a tornado between 3pm and 11pm local time. The bigger threat is expected in the evening, when storms could bring damaging winds and heavy rain. CBS also reports that bad weather may cause power outages, which could affect goal-line technology and VAR.
The US government advises waiting at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before continuing outdoor activities, since electric charges can linger in the clouds. Lightning is a danger up to six to ten miles from a storm cloud, so officials will be watching weather radar and lightning detection tools carefully during the match.
While weather delays are rare in top football events, they’ve happened before. For example, the Euro 2012 game between France and Sweden was stopped early on due to rain and lightning but resumed after an hour. At Euro 2024, a lightning storm paused the Germany vs. Denmark match for 25 minutes, with players and fans taking shelter.
In other sports, weather delays have also occurred. In 2010, an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles was pushed back two days because of a snowstorm warning.
If the France vs. Iraq match has to be paused for severe weather, there’s no strict time limit for completing it. If needed, the game would be finished at a later date, probably Tuesday, when the weather is expected to improve with no more severe storms in the forecast.
Overall, everyone will be keeping a close eye on the weather to ensure the game goes ahead safely and smoothly!