🚨 France v Iraq second half delayed by thunderstorms! | OneFootball

Thunderbolt (literally). 

Interrupted since the end of the first half, the match between France and Iraq (1-0) will not resume before 1 a.m., according to an announcement from FIFA.

The reason for the interruption? A downpour hit the pitch, but above all lightning was spotted less than 13 kilometers from Philadelphia’s stadium, where the match is being played. Under FIFA protocol, the game must now be suspended for at least 30 minutes.

If those 30 minutes pass without any lightning near the stadium, the match can resume. However, if lightning appears again, the 30-minute timer will be reset to zero each time.

As a reminder, it had already been known for several days that this match was under threat from particularly severe weather conditions. Thunderstorms, violent winds, heavy rain, and even isolated tornadoes were feared.

During the Club World Cup last summer, this exact scenario occurred, and the match between Chelsea and Benfica lasted more than 4 hours and 30 minutes.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

📸 MAURO PIMENTEL - AFP or licensors