France’s World Cup clash with Iraq was brought to a sudden halt at half-time as lightning forced the evacuation of Lincoln Financial Field — yet Les Bleus eventually ran out 3-0 winners after a delay of more than two hours.
Kylian Mbappe had given France the lead after just 14 minutes, but as the interval arrived heavy rain began to lash the Philadelphia stadium. With lightning activity approaching, supporters were told to “exit the open seating areas” and take shelter on the main concourse.
“France defeated Iraq 3-0 in a World Cup match suspended for over two hours due to lightning in Philadelphia.”
FIFA initially announced a minimum 30-minute delay, saying in a statement: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Philadelphia, including the risk of lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the Fifa World Cup match between France and Iraq has been suspended.… The safety and security of all individuals is Fifa's priority.”
But the storm refused to pass quickly. Speaking to French television during the prolonged hold-up, manager Didier Deschamps admitted: “I've stopped giving the players any news because it keeps changing every 30 seconds.”
The BBC’s Kelly Cates explained the strict protocol: “There is a delay … what they call lightning activity in the area … fans are being asked to take shelter outside of the stadium bowl itself. … the minute there hasn't been any lightning activity for 15 minutes, the players will come out and then they will warm up for 15 minutes, and then the second-half will get underway.”
Lauren Lambrugo, chief operating officer of Philadelphia Soccer 2026, had earlier confirmed that in such an event the procedure would be to “evacuate the stadium to the main concourse and seek emergency shelter”.
After more than two hours the all-clear finally sounded. France returned to the pitch and added two more goals to seal a 3-0 victory, with Mbappe keeping pace with Lionel Messi in the race to top the World Cup scoring charts.