Extreme climate struck once more on the FIFA Membership World Cup, as Palmeiras’ conflict with Al Ahly was briefly suspended as a consequence of lightning at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Followers had been ordered to go away the seating space and search shelter contained in the venue halfway via the second half.
Palmeiras had been 2-0 up when referee Anthony Taylor halted play simply after the hour mark. A stadium-wide announcement flashed throughout the large screens, directing attendees to evacuate the stands:
“On your security, we’re going to have everybody go away the Seating Bowl space and take shelter contained in the stadium due to extreme climate within the space.”
Gamers and workers had been escorted to tunnels whereas followers had been guided by occasion workers to indoor zones. After a delay of simply over an hour, the match resumed at 7:15pm BST.
This marks the third weather-related disruption for the reason that revamped Membership World Cup kicked off in america. Earlier, Crimson Bull Salzburg’s fixture towards Pachuca in Cincinnati and Mamelodi Sundowns’ assembly with Ulsan HD in Florida each suffered delays as a consequence of torrential rain and storms.
Security rules within the U.S. mandate a 30-minute suspension for any sporting occasion when lightning is detected close by—a coverage that’s come into play a number of instances this week.
The MetLife Stadium, which will even be one of many key venues in the course of the 2026 World Cup, hosted a largely empty crowd, persevering with a worrying development of poor attendance all through the match. The Salzburg vs Pachuca sport drew simply 5,282 followers at a 26,000-seat stadium, whereas solely 3,142 attended Sundowns vs Ulsan HD.
Regardless of the atmospheric interruptions, Manchester Metropolis and Chelsea—Premier League’s Membership World Cup representatives—have to date prevented comparable delays.
The Membership World Cup is being seen as a trial run for subsequent 12 months’s World Cup throughout the US, Mexico, and Canada, although teething points with climate and low turnout are elevating eyebrows forward of the worldwide showpiece.
