The entire stadium was evacuated at halftime during the World Cup match between top favorites France and Iraq due to an approaching severe storm.
‘A severe thunderstorm is approaching,’ read the stadium’s scoreboard: ‘Please leave open seating areas. Seek shelter as instructed by stadium personnel.’ At this point, Les Bleus were leading 1-0 against the underdog. It remained unclear if and when the match could be resumed.
In Philadelphia, torrential rain began shortly before halftime, and according to weather radar, a thunderstorm was also approaching. As the teams headed to the locker rooms at the halftime whistle, spectators were directed away from the stands according to U.S. safety protocols for uncovered stadiums. Fans were moved to designated safe zones. The halftime break was initially extended from 15 to 30 minutes.
This marks the first time that weather has impacted proceedings at the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Strict rules are in place for such situations. As soon as a lightning strike is detected within an 8-mile (13-kilometer) radius of the stadium, stands and open areas must be immediately cleared. A strict mandatory 30-minute pause is enforced after the last registered lightning strike. If lightning strikes again during this period, the countdown restarts.
Memories of the ‘Frankfurt Water Battle’ of 1974
Last year, during the Club World Cup, weather caused disruptions, most notably during the match between Chelsea FC and Benfica Lisbon. The game had to be suspended after 86 minutes, lasting almost two hours. In emergency situations, a match can be canceled entirely. For Monday evening, the U.S. National Weather Service had issued a severe weather warning for Philadelphia due to thunderstorms and the threat of tornadoes.
In the 1974 World Cup, a match kicked off with a significant delay; the intermediate round duel between Germany and Poland became known as the ‘Frankfurt Water Battle’ after a downpour. Firefighters had to use pumps and rollers to clear the pitch of the worst water, and the game eventually started with a 30-minute delay. At Euro 2024, the knockout stage match between Germany and Denmark was temporarily interrupted due to severe weather.