England vs France weather forecast: Will World Cup bronze final be delayed by storms? | OneFootball

Miami is due to be hit by thunderstorms in the hours leading up to kick-off in the World Cup bronze final

England have been accustomed to a weather delay or two since arriving in North America for the World Cup 2026, and there could be more of the same in Miami this weekend.

The Three Lions were served an early warning over how conditions could impact their matches when a 3-0 warm-up win over Costa Rica saw kick-off delayed by an hour due to storms in Orlando.

Fortunately, three of England’s seven games at the World Cup games - against Croatia in Dallas, DR Congo and Argentina in Atlanta - came under closed roofs in air-conditioned venues, while the rain experienced in both Boston and New Jersey for respective meetings with Ghana and Panama did not lead to any stoppages.

There were fears about the heat in Miami for the quarter-final win over Norway, but there were no delays.

The one game where England were affected by the weather was when they arrived in Mexico City for the much-hyped last-16 clash with co-hosts Mexico at the high-altitude Estadio Azteca, as kick-off ended up being delayed by an due to extreme weather as lightning and heavy rain hit the capital.

France’s group stage win over Iraq was suspended due to storms in the vicinity of the Philadelphia Stadium which took nearly two hours to shift.

England vs France weather forecast

England’s next port of call at this World Cup is a return to familiar settings in Miami, where they will face France in the bronze final.

That match at Miami Stadium - AKA Hard Rock Stadium, the 64,478-capacity home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins - kicks off at 10pm BST in the UK, which is far more comfortable than the Mexico last-16 clash, which did not get underway until 2am on a Monday morning.

Miami are five hours behind the UK on Eastern Time in the USA, meaning the fixture will begin at 5pm locally.

Accuweather predict a high of 33C an hour ahead of kick-off - with a ‘Real Feel’ of 39C. The chance of rain is at around 40 per cent.

Thunderstorms are predicted in the area, but for 4am, which is well before the game is due to start and fans expected to arrive at the stadium.

The Miami Stadium has an open-air canopy, rather than a full retractable roof

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Miami Stadium has a large open-air canopy that was installed during renovations back in 2016, rather than a fully enclosed retractable roof.

It is designed to protect the majority of the spectator seating areas from sun and rain, but offers no protection to some of the lower seating areas and the playing surface itself.

US policy on extreme weather at outside sporting events dictates that a match must be delayed or suspended if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium.

Players, coaches and officials must all return inside, while fans are told to evacuate the stands and shelter safely.

The area in question must be completely clear of lightning for a full 30 minutes before a game can safely resume.