The match between France and Iraq, part of the second round of Group I in the 2026 World Cup, is under threat due to adverse weather conditions forecasted for the city of Philadelphia. Local authorities and the stadium organization have issued a warning to fans, advising them not to travel to the venue until further notice. According to a statement released by Lincoln Financial Field, the venue for the match, the opening of the gates has been delayed due to severe weather affecting the area, characterized by heavy rain, thunderstorms, and the risk of lightning strikes. “Due to adverse weather conditions in the region, the opening of the gates will be delayed. If you are not in the area, do not travel to the Philadelphia Stadium at this time,” reads the official note. The organization also added that a new time for the opening of access will be communicated as soon as conditions improve and urged fans who are already near the stadium to seek shelter. The kickoff is scheduled for 10:00 PM in mainland Portugal, but there is a possibility of delay. If this happens, it will be the first time in this World Cup that a match does not start at the scheduled time. FIFA’s protocol for this tournament stipulates that any detection of lightning within approximately 13 kilometers of the stadium requires the interruption or postponement of the match for at least 30 minutes, with spectators being directed to safe areas. Just hours before the match, heavy rain continued to fall over Philadelphia. Despite this, no official postponement of the France-Iraq match has been announced so far, although the situation remains under constant monitoring.
Read more in Serie A news. and related tags: World Cup, Lincoln Financial Field.