Just before kick-off in Orlando, the big screen flashed a stark message: supporters should immediately seek shelter from nearby lightning strikes. England's World Cup warm-up against Costa Rica was suddenly delayed by an hour, giving fans and players a taste of something that could become a recurring theme this summer. As the tournament moves to the United States, where summer thunderstorms are common, the question is not if more delays will happen, but how often.
Weather delays at football matches occur when local authorities deem conditions unsafe. In the case of England v Costa Rica, heavy rain and thunderstorms pushed the start time from 21:00 BST to 22:00 BST. Fans already in the stands were told to evacuate to the concourses to avoid lightning. The delay was not unusual for those familiar with US weather; former Scotland defender Rachel Corsie told BBC Radio 5 Live that when she played in America, such interruptions happened “almost every weekend.”
“Weather delays at the World Cup explained: rules, lightning protocols and impact on UK fans.”
FIFA does not have its own rules for lightning delays. Instead, it must adhere to the advice of local authorities, which in the United States follow the recommendations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA says that if a lightning strike is detected within eight miles of a stadium, the game must stop. A mandatory 30-minute countdown then begins, but each time a strike occurs inside that distance, the clock resets to 30 minutes. Only after a full 30 minutes without a strike can fans return to their seats and players begin a short warm-up.
These rules are not new. During last year’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, several matches were impacted by thunderstorms. And this summer’s World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the USA, will see games played in cities where severe weather is a seasonal norm. For UK viewers, the practical impact could be significant. Scotland, for example, play Haiti on 14 June at 02:00 BST – a delay of even an hour might force fans to choose between sleep and watching the match. England’s group-stage kick-offs are at 21:00 and 22:00 BST, so the effect is less severe, but the unpredictability remains.
Beyond the immediate inconvenience, weather delays affect players’ routines. Corsie highlighted the psychological challenge of re-fuelling when the schedule is disrupted. Thomas Tuchel, the England head coach, said after the Costa Rica delay that the team had been aware of the risk and that it was “no problem,” but he acknowledged it gave them “a little taste of what can happen.”
Q: Why do World Cup matches get delayed by weather? Matches are delayed primarily because of lightning. The US follows NOAA guidelines that require play to stop if lightning is detected within eight miles of the stadium, with a 30-minute resetting countdown. Heavy rain alone does not automatically stop play unless it creates unsafe conditions.
Q: What are the rules for lightning delays at the World Cup? FIFA does not have its own weather rules; it follows local authority advice. In the US, the NOAA standard applies: any lightning within eight miles triggers a stop, and a 30-minute clock resets with each new strike. Play resumes only after 30 strike-free minutes.
Q: Will weather delays be common during the World Cup? The tournament is held in North America during summer, when thunderstorms are frequent in many host cities. Precedents include delays during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and England’s warm-up matches. While not every game will be affected, the likelihood is higher than in tournaments held in more temperate climates. The UK could also see its own heatwaves this summer, with the Met Office predicting an increased chance of hot weather, but that is a separate phenomenon.
What happens next? England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on 14 June. All group matches are in the US, where severe weather watches will be in place. For fans watching from home, the key unknown is which matches will hit a storm. The NOAA rules are fixed, but the weather is not – and every minute of delay could mean the difference between watching a match live or catching the highlights.