The World Cup clash between France and Iraq has been hit with a significant delay before the teams return for the second half in Philadelphia.
France took the lead through Kylian Mbappe after just 14 minutes as it looked like it was going to be a really tough evening for the underdogs.
However, Iraq hung in impressively and got to the break with no further goals from the very concerning French attack.
The break was much longer than expected due to the weather in Philadelphia, with the players unable to leave their dressing rooms.
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Rain poured down and the threat of a severe thunderstorm emerged, with fans told to take shelter.
FIFA confirmed that the match entered Severe Weather Mode as there were lightning strikes in the area.
If there is a lightning strike within eight miles of a stadium there will be a delay of at least half an hour.
A game cannot resume until there has been a full 30 minutes since a lightning strike, although players can warm-up after 15 minutes.
An update from Fox Sports at 6.15pm local time (11.15pm UK time) suggested the game was expected to resume at 7pm local time (midnight UK time), but more lightning delayed things again.
The match being suspended until another day remains unlikely, but the wait to resume is getting very long.
Ahead of the tournament, a FIFA statement on weather during the World Cup 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.’
It is the first time in the tournament that a game has been affected by bad weather in the area.
However, England fans got a warning of what could be to come as the pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica in Florida was delayed after local storms.
More to follow…