← Back to News
Fans told not to travel to France-Iraq tie due to bad weather
Venue
B
BBC Sport·in about 3 hours

Fans told not to travel to France-Iraq tie due to bad weather

Image caption, France against Iraq is the third game to be held at the Philadelphia Stadium at the 2026 World Cup

Image source, BBC Sport Image caption, France against Iraq is the third game to be held at the Philadelphia Stadium at the 2026 World Cup

Fans have been told not to travel to the Philadelphia Stadium for Monday's World Cup game between France and Iraq due to "inclement weather in the region".

Heavy downpours and bouts of thunder and lightning are forecast for the Group I tie, which the 42nd match of this World Cup.

Kick-off is scheduled for 17:00 local time (22:00 BST) and it will be the first match at this World Cup to be delayed if it does not start on time.

Fans have been told gates will not open at the ground on time because of the weather.

"Due to inclement weather in the region, gates opening will be delayed," a statement by the Lincoln Financial Field, the name of the ground the match is taking place, said on X. , external

"If you are not in the area, please do not travel to Philadelphia Stadium at this time.

"A new gates opening time will be communicated once the weather has passed. If you are near Philadelphia Stadium, please take shelter."

There are rules in place that if lightning is detected within eight miles of the stadium, the game will pause for 30 minutes and fans escorted to safe areas.

It was raining heavily three hours before the start, but there has been no announcement at this moment in time that kick-off will be delayed.

Everything you need to know about the World Cup

Sources: BBC Sport

Get WC 2026 Updates

Match previews, results, and standings — delivered to your inbox.

Related Articles

Make Room For Eloy: Curaçao Goalkeeper Has Historic Night Against Ecuador
Venue

Make Room For Eloy: Curaçao Goalkeeper Has Historic Night Against Ecuador

Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room might have finished one save shy of the all-time record for saves in a single FIFA World Cup match, but he still made history against Ecuador on Saturday at Kansas City Stadium.

F
Fox Sports·2 days ago
Sweden even-keeled despite heavy Dutch defeat
Venue

Sweden even-keeled despite heavy Dutch defeat

No big highs, no big lows. Such has been the reaction of Sweden from their first two matches of the Six days after in their opening match of Group F, Sweden were on the other end of the at Houston Stadium against the Netherlands.

F
FIFA Official·3 days ago
Spaceship stadiums and Ronaldo-mania: Guardian writers’ first impressions of the World Cup
Venue

Spaceship stadiums and Ronaldo-mania: Guardian writers’ first impressions of the World Cup

Tournament has completed its first week and while the logistics have sometimes been challenging, the people and the football have been good It was quite a contrast touching down in sleepy Kansas City hours after having witnessed the bedlam on the str

T
The Guardian·3 days ago
‘The cops bought me an egg and cheese muffin’: Boston’s love affair with Tartan Army goes on
Venue

‘The cops bought me an egg and cheese muffin’: Boston’s love affair with Tartan Army goes on

Scotland fans in the Massachusetts city awaiting their game against Morocco have continued to make an impression on the locals On Thursday afternoon, local broadcasters in Boston went live to an event hosted by the city’s mayor, Michelle Wu. It was a

T
The Guardian·4 days ago
Tuchel throws first pitch as England enjoy downtime
Venue

Tuchel throws first pitch as England enjoy downtime

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Thomas Tuchel threw the first pitch for the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium

B
BBC Sport·4 days ago
England finally exorcise the Southgate era and unleash fun football | Barney Ronay
Venue

England finally exorcise the Southgate era and unleash fun football | Barney Ronay

You don’t win World Cups by running riot for 10 minutes in mid-June but this felt like the start of something new Walking away from Dallas Stadium, feet throbbing in the heat of the late-evening Texas tarmac, it was tempting to picture the scene insi

T
The Guardian·4 days ago