France v Iraq game has been delayed at half time as severe weather warning issued - here's what happens now
The France versus Iraq game has been delayed at half time due to ‘severe weather’.
Earlier today it had been reported that the match might have to be abandoned with storms forecast close to the Philadelphia Stadium, where France faced Iraq in their second World Cup Group I fixture.
Despite initial concerns, the game got underway as planned, with Kylian Mbappé putting Les Bleus ahead after just 14 minutes.
During the first half, the heaven's opened and rain poured down onto the pitch but didn't appear to impact game play too much.
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However, shortly after the halftime whistle, fans were told to ‘exit the open seating areas’ due to the approaching weather.
And spectators were warned that the second half wouldn’t be getting underway on time.
FIFA released an update to say: “Match has entered Severe Weather Mode due to lightning activity approaching the stadium. A match interruption is imminent.”
The stadium was told that the half time interval would be extended due to ‘lightning activity’.
US rules state that after a lightning strike within eight miles of the stadium, the game must be delayed for 30-minutes, but this time resets every time there is a new bolt.
So, in short: play can only resume half an hour after the lighting has finished.
Once a full 30 minutes has passed, supporters can go back to their seats and players will have a short warm-up.
A FIFA spokesperson told the media: "The match will resume when it is safe to do so."
The delay to play hasn’t dampened spirits, though, with Iraq assistant manager Rene Meulensteen saying his side is very much ‘still in the game’ despite trailing 1-0 to France.
Speaking at half-time, he said: "Well, obviously the quality of Kylian Mbappe.
"We are up against world-class players, and they haven't got one, they have five or six.
"I think after the goal from Mbappe, we did not concede any big chances. So we are still in the game. We have to make sure we stay in the game in the early parts of the second half."
How long can matches be delayed before they're called-off?
The delay to this match has raised concerns that the Norway versus Senegal game, set to kick off later tonight, could be abandoned.
FIFA doesn’t have a specific rule on how long a match can be delayed for before it’s suspended.
The decision on whether a match is officially called off or not is typically decided based on supporters being able to get home safely, The London Standard reports.
If a match is suspended, it will most likely resume the following day and would pick up at the exact point it was stopped - so if it was at 60 minutes, the teams would return to play the last 30 minutes.
Topics: World Cup
Claire Reid