France vs Iraq delayed by rain, becomes first World Cup match affected by weather

Inclement weather made its presence felt at the World Cup on Monday as the clash between France and Iraq became the first game of the tournament to be affected by adverse conditions. Weather concerns surfaced hours before kickoff, with a Flood Watch issued at 2 p.m. ET amid predictions of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in Philadelphia. Stadium officials temporarily prevented fans from entering after the rain, although conditions improved soon after and the match started as scheduled at 5pm local time.

Around half an hour into the match, it started to rain heavily, but despite the deteriorating conditions, the game continued. However, as storm activity moved closer to the venue during the break, supporters were instructed via the stadium’s giant screens to move to designated covered areas.

France led 1-0 at the break thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s third goal of the World Cup when the organizers announced the second half would not start on time due to the threat of weather. Tournament rules call for a minimum 30-minute suspension whenever lightning is detected in a designated safety zone around the stadium. The delay included the standard half-time interval, meaning players and fans faced a long wait before a restart could be considered.

Weather concerns weren’t limited to Philadelphia. Elsewhere, forecasts of severe storms prompted authorities in New York to issue a travel warning ahead of the Group I meeting between Norway and Senegal later in the evening, sparking fears of further disruption at World Cup venues in the United States.

This is not the first time that weather has affected football games in the US. During last year’s Club World Cup, six matches were postponed due to weather conditions and the break lasted a total of eight and a half hours.

Chelsea vs Dortmund saw the most disruption, eventually lasting 4 hours and 38 minutes from start to finish at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. England’s warm-up match against Costa Rica has been pushed back an hour after lightning in the area caused delays ahead of the tournament.

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Published on:

23 Jun 2026 04:07 IST