Lightning causes two-hour delay during World Cup match in Philadelphia
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 23, 2026, 2:35 AM
Last updated Jun 23, 2026
During France's World Cup match against Iraq on June 23, 2026, a severe storm forced officials to halt the game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The match was interrupted for over two hours due to lightning and heavy rain, marking the first weather-related delay of the tournament. As fans were evacuated to covered areas, France led 1-0 at halftime thanks to a Kylian Mbappe goal. Eventually, play resumed at 8:00 PM local time. The match concluded with France winning 3-0.
- •Lightning and rain led to a two-hour delay in the match.
- •France was leading 1-0 at halftime against Iraq.
- •Around 70,000 spectators were evacuated during the storm.
- •The match restarted at 8:00 PM local time.
- •France secured a 3-0 victory after the delay.
- 2:35 AMYahoo Sports — Lightning, downpour, a two-hour delay: bad weather hits the World Cup
"Fans at the 2026 World Cup in North America had been warned there was a possibility that games could be disrupted by bad weather. Most of the other games get cancelled but a World Cup game, you just gotta stick it out."
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