Football's premier tournament, the World Cup 2026, could experience substantial disruptions due to thunderstorms, particularly in host nations the United States and Canada. With parts of these countries entering their peak storm season during the tournament, strict weather protocols, especially concerning lightning, are set to be rigorously enforced by FIFA.
The potential for weather-related stoppages is not new to international football events held in the region. Preparations for the upcoming World Cup have already seen instances of delays, such as England's friendly against Costa Rica being pushed back by an hour in Orlando due to heavy rain and lightning threats. More recently, an exhibition match between Brazil and Morocco in New Jersey was preceded by significant rainfall, thunder, and lightning less than 24 hours before kick-off, despite hot conditions in nearby New York City.
FIFA's approach will be to adhere to local regulations set by authorities. In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mandates that if any lightning strike is detected within an eight-mile radius of a stadium, play must be immediately suspended. This protocol was frequently observed during last year's Club World Cup in the US, where six matches were halted due to electrical storms. A notable example involved Chelsea and Benfica, whose match in Charlotte, North Carolina, kicked off at 4:38 pm local time but didn't conclude until four hours and 38 minutes later due to repeated stoppages.
Should lightning strike within the eight-mile zone, a half-hour countdown commences before play can potentially resume. Crucially, any subsequent lightning strike within that perimeter would reset the 30-minute clock, leading to potentially lengthy delays similar to those seen in the Chelsea-Benfica encounter. Regions most susceptible to these thunderstorms include the Gulf Coast and the south-eastern United States.
A particular challenge could arise during the final round of group-stage games. These matches typically have synchronised kick-off times to ensure fairness and prevent teams from gaining an advantage by knowing results from other games in their group. However, such weather delays could make maintaining these simultaneous starts unavoidable, potentially impacting the integrity of the competition. In the event of conditions being too dangerous to continue, World Cup regulations state that the match would be rescheduled for a future date, resuming from the exact minute it was paused.