FIFA has World Cup 30-minute emergency rule that could delay matches by hours
Football fans could be in for a shock in more ways than one if the USA's 30-minute emergency rule' is forced into application during the 2026 World Cup.
World Cups are usually bathed in summer sunshine and the 2026 edition in the USA, Mexico and Canada should be no different.
In fact, some fans are really worried England and Scotland will wilt in the heat if they compete in boiling locations like Texas, Florida and Mexico - which is likely why a World Cup simulation didn't back them to bring it home.
But there are even more weather concerns to deal with beyond the sweltering heat and humidity, as summer storms could derail games completely.
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That's because there is a mandatory thunderstorm protocols in the USA that all outdoor sporting events must adhere to, including FIFA's already controversial tournament.
And it's already affected England's preparation.
If lightning or electrical activity is detected with an eight-mile radius of an open-roofed stadium, the event must be suspended for a minimum of 30 minutes.
If no further lightning strikes in that period, game game can resume once the players are ready. However, if electrical activity is detected before the time has elapsed, the clock will restart once more.
Additionally, play will be halted again if lightning is spotted within the radius at any point, even if play has only just restarted.
Many of the host cities are in regions where such storms are common place in the summer months, and only four stadiums being used in the tournament have fixed or retractable roofs that would negate the need for the rule.
It leaves the real possibility that a game could be delayed for several hours if it takes place during such a tempest.
In fact, that's exactly what happened during 2025's Club World Cup held in the States, when Chelsea's last-16 tie with Benfica in Charlotte, North Carolina (thankfully, not in use during the World Cup) was delayed for two hours only concluded four hours and 38 minutes after kick-off.
While England's warm-up match with Costa Rica last night (10 June) was delayed by an hour after a thunderstorm hit Florida.
Such a delay during the tournament would leave FIFA with a massive headache, as rescheduling games would be difficult in a packed calendar but lengthy delays would leave fans, players and coaches frustrated.
It would also be a huge problem for fans watching World Cup fixtures back home in the United Kingdom, especially in pubs.
How would UK pubs react to lengthy World Cup delays?
European fans have it lucky in recent iterations of the World Cup, with kick-off times all coming during the day.
Things look a lot different this time around, though, with multiple timezones in the Americas all being several hours behind.
As a result, the majority of games kick-off very late in the day.
England have been fortunate as their opening group games will be played at 9pm and 10pm but Scotland have not been.
The Tartan Army's first World Cup game since 1998 against Haiti will get underway at 2am BST, with their other two group games being played at 11pm.
That makes watching games a tough ordeal, especially during the working week, even more so when it comes to watching them at the pub.
The UK have relaxed licensing laws during the tournament so pubs can stay open later for games, but what would happen if a lengthy delay struck and the match went on until six in the morning?
LADbible has contacted Wetherspoons and Greene King for comment on how pubs showing games will approach the new rule.
Daniel Murphy