England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina will proceed as scheduled on Wednesday night despite thunderstorms forecast for Atlanta, with the stadium’s retractable roof removing any risk of weather-related delay. The match is due to kick off at 8pm BST (2pm local time), with the winners facing European champions Spain in Sunday’s final after Spain knocked out France.
Fears of disruption have been fuelled by several matches at the tournament being halted by electrical storms, including England’s round-of-16 clash with Mexico, which was delayed by an hour. Under the weather protocol adopted by Fifa, play must stop if lightning is detected within eight miles of a stadium. A 30-minute countdown then begins, resetting after each subsequent strike, and once it expires players are given a 15-minute warm-up before resuming.
The forecast for Atlanta on Wednesday suggests warm, humid conditions with thunderstorms possible at 2pm and 3pm, around the kick-off time. However, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, known as the Atlanta Stadium for the World Cup, has a fully retractable roof, meaning poor weather cannot affect the match itself. A stadium spokesperson said: “Since the stadium is covered, the match is not weather-dependent so it will be played as scheduled. It won't be delayed, the game will start as planned regardless of weather.”
Gates will open three hours before kick-off to allow fans to take shelter in advance. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is taking place during the peak storm season in some regions, with strict lightning rules in place. Weather has already caused disruption earlier in the year, including an hour-long delay to England’s friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando, and six matches at last year’s Club World Cup were halted by electrical storms, including Chelsea’s encounter with Benfica which finished four hours and 38 minutes after it had begun.
If conditions were ever considered dangerous enough to force an abandonment, World Cup regulations would see the match replayed on a future date, restarting from the exact minute it was paused. Fifa is addressing each match on a case-by-case basis, with stadiums in the Gulf Coast and south-east United States considered most vulnerable to thunderstorms.
