Thunderstorms and lightning forced a two-hour halt to Saudi Arabia's pre-World Cup friendly against Puerto Rico in Texas on Saturday, raising concerns about extreme weather at this summer's tournament.
The match at Austin's Q2 Stadium was stopped in the 21st minute as players were pulled off the pitch and fans told to seek shelter. Several lightning strikes followed before the game resumed, with Saudi Arabia winning 3-0.
“Saudi Arabia friendly halted for two hours by lightning, raising concerns about extreme weather at 2026 World Cup.”
The 2026 World Cup, which starts on 11 June across Canada, Mexico and the United States, will take place at the peak of thunderstorm season in several host cities. Under tournament rules, if a lightning strike is detected within eight miles of a stadium, the match is stopped. A mandatory 30-minute countdown then begins, but each time a lightning strike occurs inside that distance, the clock resets to 30 minutes.
While the Q2 Stadium will not host any World Cup matches, two stadiums in Texas will be used. Houston Stadium will stage seven matches, and Dallas Stadium will host nine, including England's group game against Croatia. Both venues have retractable roofs that can reduce the impact of storms.
Last year's Club World Cup in the United States saw Chelsea's last-16 tie against Benfica in Charlotte last for four hours and 39 minutes because of seasonal summer thunderstorms.
Heat is also expected to be a problem. Researchers have warned that temperatures at 14 of the 16 World Cup stadiums could exceed dangerous levels.
Saudi Arabia play their final warm-up match against Senegal on Tuesday before opening their World Cup campaign against Uruguay at Miami Stadium on 15 June. They also face Spain in Atlanta and Cape Verde in Houston.