The match between France and Iraq (Group 9, Round 2) was suspended due to torrential rain in Philadelphia and a warning of lightning and a severe thunderstorm.
It did not restart after halftime, while the score was 1-0 in favor of France with a goal by Kylian Mbappe. Fans left the stands to protect themselves from the phenomena. It is the first game in this World Cup to be suspended.
The match was suspended – as announced by FIFA – for at least 30 minutes under US law, which allows the interruption or delay of any outdoor event if lightning is detected within a radius of 13 kilometers.
The message
As referee Drew Fisher blew the whistle for halftime, the following message was posted on the scoreboard: “Please exit the open seating area and seek shelter in the stadium as directed by stadium personnel. Severe thunderstorm approaching.”
Deschamps Statements
France and Iraq players wait in their locker rooms at half-time,
“There was a warning, then it disappeared, then it came back… I stopped informing the players, as it changes every 30 seconds,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.
“We are waiting… And then, the important thing will be to have time for another warm-up so that the team can come back,” he added.
FIFA statement
: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Philadelphia, including the risk of lightning near the stadium, the FIFA World Cup match between France and Iraq has been suspended. A
30-minute break has been announced. FIFA will follow the safety protocols established by local authorities and the match will resume as soon as it is safe.
The safety of all individuals is FIFA’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation.”
The protocol
The lightning nightmare was a real risk for the tournament even before the start of the World Cup, since, as happened last year during the Club World Cup (six matches of the tournament were interrupted by storms), matches in many cities could be interrupted or postponed if lightning caused by storms is detected within a radius of 12 km.
According to the protocol, if lightning is detected nearby, the match will be interrupted regardless of the conditions of the stadium.
FIFA must follow the recommendations of local authorities. In the United States, the rules of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) apply.
These stipulate that if lightning is detected within 13 km of a stadium, the match must be interrupted. All players must leave the field and fans must seek shelter indoors.
A mandatory 30-minute countdown begins at that point. Every time lightning strikes nearby, the countdown resets to zero. After halftime, fans can return to their seats and the players do a short warm-up.
The first half, the match until the break
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring (14′) – from an assist by Oliseh – with his 15th goal in a World Cup (he caught the legendary Ronaldo “the phenomenon”, behind Messi-18 and Klose -16), in his 100th international appearance. France dominated the first 20 minutes, Iraq “lost” captain Hussein due to injury and as torrential rain began after 30′, managed to limit France’s threat.